Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has turned into a mixed bag of skill and talent, with injuries and fitness setbacks. Ball has shown who he is while healthy. The question is, who can he be in the future? A certain ESPN face believes there is more to come from LaMelo and the Hornets.
Hornets Guard LaMelo Ball to LaLevel Up with All-Star Return Potential
Hornets LaMelo Ball En Route to All-Star Form Return
LaMelo carries his family name the best of all three Ball brothers. LaMelo entered the league with skill and flash. He can score the basketball, wow the crowd, and pull off some pretty sweet moves. The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year has built himself into an offensive showcase that carried him to his only All-Star birth in 2022. He’s got the gift, no doubt.
Unfortunately, LaMelo is in tune with his brother, Lonzo Ball, and injuries have cast a shadow over his young career thus far. Over the past two seasons, LaMelo has missed 106 out of 164 games for Charlotte. He simply has not been available for the franchise that drafted him only four years ago. Still, this same franchise supported LaMelo with a five-year extension in the 2023 offseason worth $203 million. Clearly, Charlotte still believes that their talented star is an essential part of the franchise in the future. While some in the NBA media circles push back on LaMelo’s franchise player capabilities, others share Charlotte’s opinion.
Kendrick Perkins Praises LaMelo’s Skillset
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins shared his musings on Ball’s return for this season, potentially returning to an All-Star level, and a word regarding the Hornets’ post-season activity.
“Yeah, absolutely. Look he fills up the stat sheet… He’s one of the most exciting players in the league. Can he take that leap as a leader and at least get this Charlotte team into the Play-In Tournament? I believe he can.”
Perkins’s surprising comments came on NBA Today on how ESPN while discussing players on the comeback. While Perkins may be way out in left field about play-in scenarios for the Hornets, he is on point regarding Ball’s scoring. LaMelo has lit it up since coming into the league. In the 184 games he has laced up for, he’s averaged 20 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 37.4% from three.
If you average 20 points per game, you’re a baller. However, Ball’s points average isn’t his most impressive stat. The most impressive and underrated stat is Ball’s 7.4 assists. He doesn’t just score; he’s also proved to be an excellent setup man. Like his brother Lonzo, LaMelo is a smooth passer and has shown he can get his teammates the Ball at will. When your razzle-dazzle flow on the basketball court contributes to more than just scoring, you know your skillset greatly impacts your fellow squad members. This is the case with LaMelo. In a very Trae Young-esque way, Ball uses his small stature and size to be shifty with the ball. His quickness in his passing is what makes him so good.
Good for Ball, but what about the Hornets?
Despite Ball’s play and skill, it’s his availability and leadership that enters the fold. Can LaMelo be as good a leader as he is a basketball player? Perkins seems to believe so. Ball is still just 23 years old and has his entire NBA career ahead of him. Now healthy and ready to return to the floor, it’ll be up to LaMelo to become the leader Perkins sees him to be. Perkins’s opinion is not widely shared, unfortunately for Ball. Of course, he is a Ball, and if LaVar Ball has taught us anything—forget them.
