LaVar Ball likens LaMelo to Michael Jordan in Warriors NBA draft critique

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LaVar Ball already has gone on record as to why he, in his infinite wisdom, believes the Warriors, the team that just went to five straight NBA Finals, would be a bad fit for his son, top NBA draft prospect LaMelo Ball.

LaVar doesn't want LaMelo, who is talented but unpolished, to be just another guy at the start of his career next to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

This is, of course, insane.

But LaVar went further down the "Warriors are a bad fit for LaMelo" rabbit hole in an appearance earlier this week on the Road Trippin' Podcast with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton. LaVar, clearly a basketball historian and not an overbearing father who is detached from reality, doesn't want LaMelo coming off the bench for the Warriors initially because ... well, the GOAT didn't come off the bench.

“Just like people was trying to tell me when Golden State was saying ‘Is it OK if Melo comes off the bench and learns?’ and all this stuff and I was ‘Nah.' " LaVar said (H/T LonzoWire). "People was telling me Well ‘Kawhi, he came off the bench. Giannis came off the bench.’ OK. Michael Jordan didn’t come off the bench.”

Once you're done blinking furiously to make sure your eyes didn't deceive you, we can continue.

[RUNNIN' PLAYS PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]

Yes, LaVar did just compare his son to His Airness. It's honestly not even in the top 10 most insane things he has said since his oldest son, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, burst onto the scene at UCLA. Nonetheless, those who thought LaVar had toned it down in recent years now have egg on their face because he is, in fact, the same guy.

On the basketball side of things, the Warriors, obviously, would be a good place for any young prospect to start out. After a down season that saw them sink to the bottom of the NBA due to injuries, the Warriors are primed to restart their dynasty and prove that Kevin Durant's exodus was not the end of their run.

Whoever the Warriors select with their high draft pick will come into a winning organization with one of the best cultures in the NBA and superstars who are willing to help them as their professional journey begins. The pressure would be off LaMelo if he were to start is career coming off the bench for the Warriors, as opposed to, say, the New York Knicks. He would arrive in Madison Square Garden as the hopeful answer to years of misery.

The weight of expectations often can break prospects early. While LaMelo is talented, his jump shot needs to be refined and his defense leaves a lot to be desired.

With no transcendent prospect atop the 2020 NBA Draft, the Warriors will have a number of different options when they go on the clock. LaMelo is seen as one of the best players in the class, but his game might not be the ideal fit for a Warriors team looking to contend for an NBA title next season. Tyreese Halliburton, James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards and Killian Hayes all could be better options.

[RELATED: LaMelo pumps breaks on LaVar's Warriors criticism]

In order for LaMelo to be the best NBA player possible, LaVar should want his son to go to a franchise that will invest in LaMelo, believe in him and help him through early NBA growing pains.

But that would be rational, something LaVar normally isn't.

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