LaMelo Ball beat Bucks with precision Saturday. Will that lead to 1st Hornets start?
It’s overdue for the Charlotte Hornets to road test LaMelo Ball as a starter.
Terry Rozier’s ankle sprain should take care of that Monday against the Miami Heat.
We don’t know the severity of Rozier’s injury, though Charlotte listed him as questionable for Monday’s game. What we do know, however, is Ball was been everything a high pick is supposed to be in a 126-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Rookie point guard Ball was spectacular, but he was also precise: One turnover in 31 minutes. Also shooting, a question when the Hornets chose Ball third overall, looked good; he was 8 of 10 from the field, 2 of 3 from 3-point range and 9 of 9 from the foul line.
That free-throw total is important. An NBA player has arrived when opponents can’t contain him without fouling. Ball created so much chaos within the Bucks’ defense that Milwaukee had no choice but to bump him and hack him.
Rozier sprained his right ankle at the end of the first half. He crumpled to the court, and needed support from teammate Miles Bridges to walk to the locker room. The Hornets had no update on his condition post-game.
Ball started the second half and dominated. The Hornets outscored the Bucks with Ball on the court by 37 points.
“He did a great job of balancing aggressiveness, poise and making the right play,” coach James Borrego said. “So, really special performance by him tonight.”
Second-guessing
It’s easy to pile on Borrego — to scream, “What took you so long?” — regarding Ball.
I would have started Ball by now, but I don’t find Borrego at fault. The Hornets’ two best players last season were guards Rozier and Devonte Graham. Handing Ball the starter’s job before he earned it would have been bad for Ball and this team.
Ball’s first 20 NBA games were sometimes spectacular, but they were also uneven. When Ball committed five turnovers in 17 minutes against the Chicago Bulls, Borrego correctly sat him. A coach’s only real power in the NBA is playing time. Distributing minutes is how you hold players accountable. It’s how they learn.
Borrego isn’t stubborn and he knows better than anyone the Hornets lack talent. He’s vested in Ball’s success. But just handing him 30 minutes a game, with no correction, does Ball a disservice. How well Ball played Saturday — how low-mistake he was — illustrates how he’s evolving.
No complaints
You don’t hear complaints from Ball about any of this. In fact, you don’t hear much of anything. He’s tight-lipped in interviews with the media, answering questions politely but succinctly.
However, he knows the fearless, dynamic way he plays energizes teammates.
“Even at a young age playing basketball, just getting the ball and getting out and going (on the fast break) kind of infects people’s games,” Ball said. “So they all do it.”
Ball is popular among the veterans. He finds them when they’re open, and sometimes when they’re not. He makes the game fun and is starting to impact winning.
“He just knows the game. Any slippage, he’ll find it in the defense,” said forward Miles Bridges, a frequent target of Ball’s lob passes. “It’s infectious.”
The Hornets beat the Bucks on Saturday with bravado, whether through 21 3-pointers, or a Cody Zeller tomahawk dunk or Malik Monk scoring 18 off the bench.
Ball radiates that bravado. If Rozier isn’t available Monday, the easiest decision Borrego can make is starting Ball.
It could get rocky. It could also be magnificent. At minimum, it eliminates the maybes about what he’s ready for right now.
This story was originally published January 31, 2021 at 9:12 AM with the headline "LaMelo Ball beat Bucks with precision Saturday. Will that lead to 1st Hornets start?."
