The Charlotte Hornets had high hopes for LaMelo Ball as their franchise’s future talisman. The 23-year-old won Rookie of the Year honors over Anthony Edwards and achieved All-Star status in his second season. Things then began to go downhill for him, with several factors contributing to his rapid decline. Veteran ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon questioned his ability as a franchise player on The Hoop Collective.
MacMahon felt that Ball’s flashy, versatile style of play lacked decisiveness. He was also skeptical of the Hornets point guard’s defensive efforts. He even expressed doubts about the youngster’s mentality and priorities, saying:
“I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can be the franchise player that wins a game because he has a pretty empty game of calories, right? I mean, the guy can fill up a scoreboard but… his efficiency is zero. His defense is horrible and I don’t see much evidence that this guy considers winning a priority.”
🎙️ @espn_macmahon:”I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can play winning basketball.”
“…his efficiency is zero. His defense is horrible. And I don’t see much evidence that the guy considers winning a priority.” 🤨 pic.twitter.com/W0RLak5Pbo
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) August 23, 2024
MacMahonThe harsh criticism of s seems somewhat unjustified. BallHis talent was evident from the moment he stepped on the NBA court. During his rookie season, he averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
The California native took his game up a notch the following season. The 2.00-m guard averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game, becoming the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history behind LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.
Just as Ball seemed poised to become a league powerhouse, tragedy struck. Recurring ankle injuries kept him sidelined for much of the next few seasons.
Despite this, his impact on the court has remained intact. As a reminder, the Hornets star has averaged 23.5 points, 8.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in 58 games over those two seasons.
These numbers show that Ball is a game-changing player and contradict MacMahon’s concerns about his quality. As for winning games and championships, that doesn’t depend entirely on the young player. Management must build a competitive team around him to help the franchise succeed.
