LaMelo Ball did his best NBA game on Saturday, setting his career record with 27 points and nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to lead Charlotte Hornets in the 126-114 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The numbers are one thing – Ball proved early in his career that he can triple-double any night – but the way Ball mastered the paint on the clutch showed a tempting roof as a top scorer. to your playing ability.
Ball was aggressive from the start, but in a different way than we are used to. Usually Ball uses his vision of another world and passes to engage others, acting more like a passer and shooter in the middle of the court. On Saturday, however, Ball made it his mission to reach the ring, demonstrating his ability to finish and score fouls. He hit 6 out of 7 in the 2-point range and took down all nine of his free-throw attempts, the best of his career. For example, instead of settling for a contested 3-point pull-up when facing an incompatibility against Brook Lopez, he took the slow center to the edge and finished off with a beautiful left-handed turn.
More importantly, Ball kept the same energy and game plan in the clutch, as he continually attacked the Bucks defense as soon as it looked like Milwaukee was starting to pull away. Ball went back into the game with his team losing 111-110 in the middle of the fourth half, and triggered a 16-3 run to end the game. Ball scored seven of the 16 points, including five free throws, and took two steals in the final stretch. He even pulled some of the James Harden baffle, extending his arms to draw a fault in the painting.
Ball also made a fundamental and unique basket to give the Hornets all the momentum they needed to end the game. We saw Ball’s finesse game around the edge, but this was particularly encouraging, as he climbed up and finished through contact with Khris Middleton.
The ball averages just one point for possession in the basket, which is in the 25th percentile according to Synergy Sports Technology, and he entered Saturday night with an average of just two free-throw attempts per game. If he is able to maintain the aggressiveness he has shown against the Bucks, that will only open the way for his revolutionary passes. Case in point: after the e-one, Ball used quick hands to catch a robbery, tied two defenders in the lane and found Devonte ‘Graham for an open 3-point dagger.
At just 19 and with a fragile 180-pound structure, no one expects Ball to push his way to the edge with each ball possession. But the attack mentality – getting on the track to score, not just passing – can be critical to Ball’s success. It’s just a game, but if LaMelo is able to get on the track consistently and finish around the edge, his potential as an NBA point guard goes further.