‘He’s special.’ What former NBA point guards are saying about Hornets star LaMelo Ball
Serving as a point guard in the NBA isn’t easy. There are plenty of arduous challenges that come along with it, most only gradually becoming somewhat easier with time and experience.
That is partially what makes everything Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is currently doing rather remarkable. He’s already recorded five double-doubles, the most recent coming in Friday night’s win over Indiana, and has two triple-doubles.
“Just putting in that work,” Ball told The Observer. “Being in the gym, locked in.”
With laser-like precision apparently. Ball has turned heads and left jaws agape for months now, blossoming into a bona fide star. The superlatives and adjectives being tossed around daily about his skill set and overall ability aren’t necessarily overstated, and they are even more noteworthy when they come from people who actually played the position.
Who better to ask about Ball’s game than some of the league’s OGs? You know, original (point) guards. Guys who were once in Ball’s shoes. They offer a unique perspective and the Observer is compiling their thoughts.
A sampling of what they are saying about the Hornets’ 20-year-old star.
TIM HARDAWAY SR.: ‘HE’S SPECIAL’
Tim Hardaway Sr. isn’t one to just throw compliments around.
The king of the UTEP two-step — a nickname for the move he began putting on defenders during his collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso — was a fierce competitor during his 11 seasons in the NBA. He was a five-time All-Star named to the All-NBA first, second, or third team at least once during his nearly decade-long playing career.
He knows a thing or two about the position. He beamed when Ball’s name got brought up.
“Man, he’s special,” Hardaway Sr. said. “He’s definitely special. You think of him as an unorthodox type of player. He goes out there and he does different things that point guards don’t really do. And you are like, ‘Wow, he’s throwing the ball underhanded for a pass down the court.’
“You can tell that he sees the plays before they even happen. When their man is cutting, it’s almost like Patrick Mahomes or a quarterback throwing a pass and they are running the ball as they are making a play. And that’s what he’s doing. He’s throwing it to where they are supposed to be at and they know where they are supposed to be at, so they make a layup. He’s special and I like him. I like how he carries himself. He’s very, very confident.”
Fashion included. Remember the lime green outfit matching his fresh ride?
“You’ve got to be confident to wear a suit like that or stuff like that,” Hardaway said. “So he’s very, very confident and I like his swag. You’ve got to love his swag because he goes out there and plays tough. He goes out there and plays confident. I like his swag.”
Every point guard enjoys a beautiful assist and Ball is averaging 7.5 of them per game. Court vision is one of Ball’s strongest attributes, and his penchant for making difficult passes seem easy has caught Hardaway’s attention.
“He’s got an old school BIT to his game in terms of throwing the ball ahead,” Hardaway said. “He’s not a modern sort of ball dominant guard where he’s going to run pick-and-roll every single play. He likes to get the ball out of his hands, and get it into his teammates’ and ahead of the play. Really good player and fun to watch.”
Hardaway believes being the youngest of the Ball brothers and having two older siblings who also played basketball at competitive levels might’ve aided the uncanny knack the reigning Rookie of the Year has of almost seeing plays unfold before they happen.
“I think he was small before he grew up to be like 6-5 or whatever he is now,” Hardaway said. “So he had to play point guard and understood how to run a team in AAU basketball. And playing behind his brother, he was able to see different things that his brother wasn’t able to see, able to focus on things that his brother wasn’t able to focus on.
“So I think that’s what helped him. Just by looking at him playing and him watching his brother play, I think that helped him tremendously.”
NATE MCMILLAN: HE’S A THROWBACK
Standing at 6-foot-5, Nate McMillan can appreciate a rangy, statuesque point guard. In the 12 seasons he logged with the Seattle Supersonics, he garnered All-NBA defensive honors twice. He’s from a different era, hailing from those days when the game wasn’t tailored as much toward offense as it is now.
Mention Ball’s name to the Raleigh native and he raves about him.
“I like his game,” McMillan said. “He plays the game at that point guard position. He’s a big guard that is a pass-first guard, that has the ability to score. But he gets those guys involved and you can see the effect that he has on that team with the ball movement. They are one of the top teams in catch-and-shoot because he’s setting those guys up.
“They are setting each other up and they are getting good looks at the basket. So he establishes the tempo, he likes to get up and down the floor, does a great job of advancing the ball and allowing those guys to play in pick-and-roll situations. He creates opportunities for his teammates and he takes advantage when the defense makes a mistake. So I really like the way he’s playing for them.”
Ball’s style is more of the throwback variety in McMillan’s estimation.
“I think he is,” McMillan said. “You look at a Jason Kidd, that type of point guard. Those guys are running because they know they are going to get the ball and he is making it easy for those guys in a sense, making his teammates better because all they have to do is shoot the ball. He’s putting the ball right in their hands when they are open and it makes it easy to play with a guy like that.”
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: GUYS ‘LOVE’ PLAYING WITH HIM
Now in his first season as Portland’s head coach, Chauncey Billups is a Finals MVP, taking home the honor after guiding Detroit to a title in 2004. He played for 16 seasons in the league and went up against his fair share of tough individuals.
And prior to landing the gig with the Trail Blazers, Billups was an analyst for ESPN, alternating between the studio and broadcast booth. So he has seen some talent throughout the years.
In examining the difference between Ball in this season compared to his first, Billups noticed an even deeper sense of self-determination oozing within the Hornets’ second-leading scorer.
“I see his confidence growing offensively as far as his shooting and finding his spots on the floor this year more,” Billups said. “I just love the joy that he plays with, man. You can tell that everybody loves playing with him. I think that as a point guard, that is one of the best things you can say about a guy, is do they like playing with you?
“And you can tell everybody loves playing with him. The way he moves the ball and makes everybody better, he just plays with this great spirit, man.”
To sum Billups and the others up: the Hornets have something unique on their hands.
“It’s respect,” Ball said. “I’m appreciative.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
