NBA scouts in town to check out the teen stars at the NBL Blitz

The decision of top NBA draft prospects to join the NBL could have a significant effect on the competition for years to come.

ESPN NBA draft analysis and reporter Jonathan Givony. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

A LEADING NBA draft analyser believes the progression of RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball in the NBL could determine how attractive the league’s next star program becomes for future elite US high school basketball talent.

ESPN draft analyst and reporter Jonathan Givony has followed both of the teenage American stars since they were 15 and is in Tasmania for this weekend’s Blitz.

He said while the hype surrounding the pair is justified — declaring them among the “cream of the crop” of the next NBA draft class — those potentially looking to follow in similar footsteps will be watching as the NBL season unfolds.

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“I’ve talked to a lot of the next group of guys, their coaches and trainers and the agents and everybody is following it and they want to see how this is going to work out,” Givony told the Mercury.

“If RJ and LaMelo have good seasons and they get drafted high, I think people are going to look at that and they’re going to say this is a legitimate pathway.

“But if it doesn’t work out for them, if one of them decides to leave mid-season or whatever happens, then maybe that’ll scare people off.

“I think it’s s an experiment right now and how these two kids do is going to play a huge role in whether other guys decide to do it down the road.

“But these guys are elite prospects, this is the cream of the crop of what we have.

“I think they’re both going to be top-10 picks. From the talent, the size, the basketball IQ, the athleticism and the shot-making ability and the versatility, the resumé, it’s all there. Also the following that they have on social media, these are a pretty big deal these two kids in the states. They’ve jumped headfirst into this.”

With the scrutiny on the duo reaching fever pitch during the Blitz — as many as 27 NBA scouts are understood to be in Tasmania — the pressure to perform could be immense for two players still only 18.

But Givony has no doubt they can handle everything thrown at them during the season. “These guys, they want to be full-time professionals and they want to dedicate themselves to their craft,” he said.

“They are getting some very intensive, educational crash course in what is it like to be a professional basketball player.

“Being immersed in that for six months, I think it’s going to pay huge dividends for these guys. They have good people around them, both of them come from two-parent households, upper middle-class, I think they’re more equipped to handle it than maybe some other kids who are from a more difficult upbringing.”