This is the LaMelo Ball that Charlotte Hornets expected when they recruited him.
Four games in his NBA career, Ball showed the advantage on Wednesday that made him number 3 in the draft. The novice point guard had the best game of his young career, by far, when the Hornets surprised the Dallas Mavericks, 118 to 99, in yet another turnaround by a road team playing in an empty NBA arena.
Ball recovered the shot while leading all the top scorers in the first half with 15 points. He was less active after the break, but finished with 22 points, the best mark in the game, along with eight rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.
LaMelo finds distance range
He did not force shots while shooting 7 out of 10 from the field, including 4 out of 5 points out of 3 points. His 3 points were largely the catch and shoot variety in the flow of Charlotte’s attack – the exact type of shot the Hornets want him to make while his jump remains a work in progress.
It also showed glimpses of the incredible game-making skill that made it one of the top three choices.
Ball’s difficult start in Charlotte
The performance was a welcome sight at Charlotte after Ball struggled in his first three games. Ball went scoreless in five goal attempts in his NBA debut. He averaged 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and three assists by shooting 33% of the pitch in three games.
His total points in Dallas surpassed the 19 he had previously scored throughout the season. He was the best point guard on the court on Wednesday in a game that Luka Doncic played.
The Mavericks MVP candidate was a big factor in the Dallas fight, as he managed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. His minus-27 in the plus-minus column was the worst of the team.
Doncic’s tough night shows the dangers of giving credit to a sample of an NBA game. But that doesn’t mean that Ball and the Hornets won’t sleep well after their big night.
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