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Carolina Sports News

Finally Healthy, LaMelo Ball Is Taking A Leap

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Since his All-Star sophomore campaign, LaMelo Ball’s career has been marred by injuries. It’s all too easy to forget that a then-20-year-old Ball led his Charlotte Hornets to the Play-In. Now in year five, a healthy Ball has continued ascending toward basketball superstardom.

The 6-11 Hornets are a bad basketball team, limited by a lack of talent and various injuries. Ball’s presence has kept the Hornets relevant and in games, and he’s hitting a new stride as a scorer. Despite Charlotte’s 23rd-ranked offense (per Cleaning the Glass), Ball is playing like one of the NBA’s best on-ball initiators.

The Hornets are taking a more heliocentric offensive approach than any other NBA team and Ball’s numbers reflect that. His counting stats are gaudy — 31 points 6.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds on a sturdy 57.5 percent true shooting. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.4) scores more than Ball on a nightly basis. He leads the NBA in usage rate at an absurd 38.9 percent (per Basketball Reference). Charlotte relies on him to buoy its offense almost exclusively, especially given Tre Mann’s recent injury.

He commands a historically high level of offensive responsibility to this point. His 38.9 percent usage rate is the league’s highest figure since James Harden in 2018-19 (40.5 percent). Basketball Reference’s usage rate tracking dates back to 1977. Ball’s usage rate is the third-highest in NBA history, only trailing 2019 Harden and 2016-17 Russell Westbrook (41.7 percent).

Despite his astronomical offensive load, Ball has reached career-high efficiency marks this season. His 57.5 percent true shooting sits just above the league average (57.3 percent) and is currently Ball’s career-high. Impact metrics like Estimated Plus-Minus view his offense extremely favorably; his plus-5.0 Offensive EPM places him fifth in the NBA.

Elite Shooting Is The Backbone of Ball’s Game

His high-volume 3-point shooting fuels this offensive dominance. Ball leads the NBA in threes attempted per 75 possessions (13.6). Calling him a high-volume shooter criminally underrates the clip he’s firing at from deep. The volume gap between Ball and second-place Duncan Robinson (12.1) is the same distance between Robinson and 13th-place Devin Vassell (10.7).

Though Ball only shoots a solid 35.6 percent from distance, we must factor in his overall shot quality. He attempts some of the toughest jumpers of any NBA player. It’s partly due to his own shot selection preferences, but Charlotte lacks playmaking talent outside of him. His touch and quick release allow Ball to access shots that almost no other players can.

He converts a blistering 38.9 percent of his 7.9 off-dribble threes per game — the highest volume of any player in the league, per Synergy). The Hornets attempt 48.6 percentof their shots from beyond the arc, second league-wide only to the Boston Celtics. Head coach Charles Lee’s prior stop in Boston certainly influences this style, but Ball’s volume shooting is the engine. 

He’s weaponizing his shooting gravity and touch to score in the midrange more than ever, converting 51.8 percent of his shots from 3-10 feet and 44.1 percent from 10-16 feet. He turns to his floater more than anyone else in the league. According to Synergy, he leads the league in runners per game (4.6), hitting an efficient 54.4 percent of those shots. Among the 17 players taking at least two runners per game, Ball’s efficiency ranks eighth.

His elite handle lets him navigate to any spot on the court that he pleases. He’s one of the league’s best pick-and-roll handlers, probing behind screens to find airspace for his threes and drives.  Against drop coverage, Ball has no reservations about scoring in the soft middle of the defense. Lee’s offense often asks guards to screen for Ball, forcing favorable switches and miscommunications.

The Hornets’ Offense Cannot Survive Without Ball

Amid his scoring leap, Ball remains one of the NBA’s best passers. His one-man offensive impact rivals almost anyone. Despite a Hornets roster devoid of offensive talent, Ball’s minutes produce a strong 114.8 offensive rating, compared to 102.5 when he sits, per PBP Stats. For comparison, the 30th-ranked Blazers sport a 105.1 offensive rating, according to Cleaning the Glass.

For all of the offensive goodness Ball brings, his defensive impact drags Charlotte down. His minus-1.1 Defensive EPM ranks in the 11th percentile and the shiny offensive swing works in reverse here; the Hornets’ defense improves by five points without Ball. That’s still a small change compared to the 12-point offensive swing with Ball off the floor, illustrating his immense value.

But his intersection of volume scoring, advantage creation, playmaking and efficiency render him one of the NBA’s best offensive players. He’s playing like an All-Star lock who will contend for a starting slot in the Eastern Conference. After Donovan Mitchell, it’s easy to argue a case for Ball as the East’s second-best guard.

More than All-Star accolades, Ball’s growth inspires confidence in Charlotte’s future. He looks like a top-tier primary initiator and Brandon Miller is a quality backcourt partner. Ball’s defense and shot selection will need improvement for him to reach his ultimate ceiling, but it’s frightening to imagine what he could achieve with more complementary offensive talent. He’s done all of this without a real center because of injuries to Mark Williams and Nick Richards.

Few professional athletes captivate attention like LaMelo Ball. He’s always embraced his unique style and rhythm, and it’s working against the best players in the world. The league is more fun when Ball is playing at his best, and that’s exactly what’s happening this season.

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