The possible addition of LaMelo Ball to the Knicks defense zone would create a high and athletic combination with RJ Barrett. However, he would really put pressure on Leon Rose to secure the perimeter shot from his forward positions, given that New York would have played a formation with two guards who have not shown that they can maintain honest defenses with their shots.
Barrett is coming out of a campaign so rookie that he saw him struggle with his filming while showing flashes of why he could still become a stellar player. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 14.3 points per game, but fired only 40.2% from the field and a dismal 32% from the center. The most worrying, his free throw, an indicator of pure shooting ability, was also terrible at 61.4%. These numbers shouldn’t be a surprise after struggling the same way in college.
The ball has the potential to become a generational passerby in the NBA who can make any offensive turmoil, but his lack of shot could pose a problem. Playing in Australia, raising nearly 7 three per game, he shot only 25% and 37.5% in total from the field.
The advantage of these two lottery choices playing together would be to give Barrett more opportunities in the attack to attack out of the catch, with Ball finding him easy to see in the middle of the field, and especially in transition. The combination of Barrett and Ball leads to the next position where the Knicks will have to look to the free agent market to add the shot.