
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball continues to dominate the Eastern Conference All-Star voting among guards, despite the Hornets’ less-than-ideal record.
However, his individual performance has been remarkable, particularly in terms of his defensive contributions, as Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer highlights.
In Charlotte’s recent win over Dallas, Ball posted an impressive stat line with 23 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.
“His two-way play has really helped us,” coach Charles Lee said. “We’ve made an effort to play with more pace offensively. I think the whole squad has really bought into that and he’s really the head of the snake when it comes to pace, and his attack and willingness to either go finish in the attack or collapse the defense and kick out for some early opportunities.
“And then defensively, he’s denying (Kyrie) Irving at the end of the game, being more physical. I feel like in our transition defense, we are having a lot more communication and urgency to get back. So, just really impressed with his two-way game and not trying to be offensively focused.”
Ball has played 5 seasons for the Hornets. He has averaged 21.2 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 212 regular-season games. He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game and has won the Rookie of the Year award.
Southeast Notes: Ball, Adebayo, Ware, Herro, Hawks https://t.co/SNiXPVMYn6 pic.twitter.com/XmNQveXr8p
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 21, 2025