Why LaMelo Ball Still Has Top 5 Point Guard Potential

If you have been following the Charlotte Hornets, or even the NBA in general, you might have noticed Lamelo Ball has been relatively abysmal with the basketball. Shooting 30% from the field, 27% from three, and averaging just over 15 points per game through 4 appearances, Lamelo is setting up for the worst year in his NBA career thus far. That being said, here is why you shouldn’t give up hope, and why he could finish the year as a top 5 point guard.

For starters, let's look at the situation. Under the historically bad ownership of the second-greatest player ever, Michael Jordan, the Hornets have been a laughing stock for the majority of his tenure. Additionally, head coach Steve “0 Defense” Clifford, has been failing to utilize the talent that finally now exists on a Hornets roster. Lastly, when everyone was expecting them to select Scoot Henderson, the Hornets shockingly chose Brandon Miller with the 2nd overall pick. This season, Miller has been averaging over 15 points and 6 rebounds per game, shooting 42% from three. These are stellar numbers considering he is coming off of the bench, and it is clear that he was the right pick at #2 in the draft. With MJ finally gone, Steve Clifford in the hot seat, and a young star (Brandon Miller) to play off of Lamelo, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel in Charlotte.

With a situation that is finally looking up, lets analyze Lamelo’s game. First and foremost, after averaging 8.4 assists per game in 2023, he is a playmaker. Surrounding him with shooters and giving him space to be aggressive/ make plays, is the key to his success. So why has this not been the case this season? The main reason is that he has been playing a passenger role on offense. Teams know that he can shoot the three, so he is guarded immediately after crossing half-court. Because of this, Steve Clifford has been running sets where Lamelo takes himself out of the play, by dumping the ball off to Rozier. Rozier is an excellent isolation player but is not half the distributor that Lamelo is. In the most recent game against the Rockets, he was having a similarly quiet night until the game got close, and Lamelo started to truly run the point. He was hitting difficult driving layups, using his size, and this ended up opening up the three for both himself and his teammates. Not to mention, Lamelo was rehabbing an injury all summer, and should be getting back into a shooting groove as the season progresses.

If Lamelo is viewed as the facilitator that he should be, and is truly given the keys to the offense, the sky is the limit. It will keep him from settling for deep, contested threes. It will boost the performance of Brandon Miller, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington, and others. It will allow this team to play together, and hopefully, bring this Charlotte franchise the wins that they desperately need. Once the formula clicks, Lamelo will be right there in the conversation with the likes of Jamal Murray, De’Aaron Fox, and Ja Morant.