Piece by William Harward
Lamelo Ball has chosen one of the most unorthodox routes to the NBA that we have ever seen. From Chino Hills to Lithuania, to Spire Academy, then all the way down under to Australia to play in the NBL, and now with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Lamelo’s basketball career is already more complicated than most. That’s not even including the JBA, a league completely created by his father Lavar Ball just so his two sons Liangelo and Melo could hoop. Throughout Lamelo’s career, we have seen him grow from 5’7 to a staggering 6’8 according to NBA.com. One thing that he’s proven along his journey is that he is a winner, with his pass first style of play he’s a type of player that every basketball player enjoys playing with, but will his game translate to the NBA? Here’s three reasons why I believe he will succeed in the NBA, and why he fits perfectly with the Charlotte Hornets.
#1) Lamelo Ball is a Winner
As a member of the Chino Hills basketball team, LaMelo and the Huskies finished 35-0 his freshman season, and were ranked the number one high school basketball team in the country by ESPN. In LaMelo’s second, and final year at Chino Hills, the Huskies finished 31-3 despite losing his older brother Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans) to UCLA. When LaMelo returned back from a short season with BC Prenai in Lithuania, and finished with the JBA, LaMelo returned to an American high school joining Spire Academy in Ohio.
At Spire Academy, the school posted a record of 17-2, one of which losses LaMelo Ball was not yet a member of the team. LaMelo then chose to forego the college route turning pro and headed to Australia to join the Illawara Hawks of the NBL where he played just 12 games. A big reason for why we have seen LaMelo’s teams perform so well is due to the way that he has an impact on the game. As a pass first point guard he contributes more to the game than shows up on the stat sheet. LaMelo speeds up the game’s tempo every time he hits the floor pushing the ball down the court finding open teammates running the floor.
LaMelo has always displayed great vision on the court, and the Hornets coach James Borrego recently said during training camp “You better keeps your hands up on offense because if you’re open, he will find you”. LaMelo is able to space the floor with his passing, and find open guys increasing ball movement. In his first preseason game with the Hornets, they made more passes than they did in any game in the entire 2019-2020 season. Passes don’t just lead to buckets, they lead to fouls, and other things that don’t show up in the stat sheet but will definitely help the team win games. If I talk about LaMelo’s passing, I have to talk about who he is sharing the ball with which brings me to my second point.
#2) The Hornets Young Explosive Roster
The Charlotte Hornets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and their roster is full of explosive young talent. LaMelo Ball will be able to share the ball with high-flying players such as P.J Washington, Miles Bridges, and Malik Monk, while shooters Devonte Graham, and Gordon Hayward are able to space the floor. The Hornets now have a strong interior presence, effective three-point shooting, and a point guard in LaMelo Ball that can see the entire floor, which will give teams a hard time containing the Hornets. There are still a ton of questions surrounding the rotation and how Ball will fit with Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier, two point guards that both averaged more than 20+ points per game but, both had very high things to say about him after a few practices of training camp and it looks like he will come off the bench for the Hornets playing roughly 20 minutes per game.
#3) The Hornets Potential
While saying the Hornets “potential” it sounds like I am referring to their future stars, but the Hornets are actually a team that can win right now, and I will tell you why. In both the 18-19, and 19-20 season, Charlotte just missed out on the playoffs. While we can mention their young core, which has developed immensely since last season as they haven’t played a game in over 300 days, we already did that in the last point. So, let’s talk about how LaMelo will boost the Hornets over the hump to be in the top 8 teams in the Eastern Conference.
Charlotte's fast up-tempo style of play is built for a player like LaMelo Ball. The biggest reason for why the Hornets have not been able to secure themselves a spot in the playoffs is due to their bench. We often see third overall picks starting on their teams and having an impact as a starter but with Graham, a potential star caliber guard, and Rozier an All-Star level player, LaMelo will have just as big of an impact on the team coming off the bench. LaMelo will provide a huge boost for the second unit, and through two preseason games we have seen LaMelo coming in early in the first quarter with the starters to help set the pace of the game. I think that Ball will elevate the young core in Charlotte while mixing perfectly with the stars Hayward, Rozier, and Graham. If Ball can bring a fast pace and increased scoring to the Hornets bench, they will increase their bench contribution and total points per game which will hopefully translate to wins.
I think that it’s important to touch on the weaknesses in LaMelo’s game that we have also seen in his older brother Lonzo’s transition into the league. LaMelo will need to develop a consistent jump shot, and a healthy body. If he can do these two things, I think that Charlotte has found a possible franchise player that will continue to develop as he grows into his 6’8 frame. Charlotte has the keys to a potential star, and it will be fun to see where this team will end up this season. Can Ball contribute wins to the franchise? Will the Hornets be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference?