Inland Empire, Calif — Imagine a high school basketball with 3 players that are TOP 5 NBA Draft picks! Chino Hills may be able to say that! Onyeka Okongwu and LaMelo were really on the same HIGH SCHOOL team and both are projected TOP5 NBA Draft picks!

LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks

Height: 6’7” | Weight: 180 | Age: 18

In terms of sheer talent, Ball has a case as the most gifted playmaker in the draft, and his combination of size, handle and vision creating a reasonable rotation-player floor even if he’s not the star some have billed him as. Not every team buys his iffy jump shot improving, and there’s little track record here as far as leading winning teams, but the fact Ball genuinely loves to play does help. That being said, recent history should serve warning at the prospect of building a winning team around a lead playmaker who can’t consistently hit perimeter shots. Ball isn’t a fit for every team, and opinion here differs, but he’s a consensus top-five prospect worth the investment in a draft like this.

Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC

Height: 6’9” | Weight: 235 | Age: 19 | Freshman

Okongwu makes a lot of sense for Cleveland (Cavs) and has a good case as the top interior defender in the draft, at least from a here-and-now perspective, and he’ll be able to give his team immediate minutes as a result. Offensively, he’s still something of a work in progress, but he’s a solid finisher around the basket and an above-average passer for his position. Okongwu isn’t a freak athlete, but he’s a powerful and coordinated mover, and should give teams some schematic versatility closing games at center. He also has some potential to shoot threes, which would be a massive development for his value.

Jeremy Woo of si.com (full story) Click Here