LaMelo Ball’s defense struggles overshadowing offensive heroics. How can that be altered?
Exasperated and annoyed that losses are beginning to pile up, LaMelo Ball wasn’t really in the mood to pontificate about his defensive efforts.
“I fouled out,” the Charlotte Hornets star point guard said after Saturday night’s loss to the Boston Celtics, “so I don’t even know.”
Ball had been asked about his well-noted improvements on the other side of the court, the one he hasn’t exactly excelled in during his four-plus seasons in the NBA. He started off in grand fashion with some notable outings during the opening week of the 2024-25 campaign.
But he’s taken a few steps back defensively, becoming unglued, and it’s affecting the Hornets greatly since he’s Charlotte’s engine and the team relies heavily on him in a variety of ways offensively. Ball has fouled out three times this season, including in the Hornets’ consecutive losses to Boston, and came close to being disqualified in their home opener against Miami, too.
The situation bears monitoring and rapid correction if the Hornets are going to become a consistent team. Ball must stay, as he likes to put it, locked in.
“It’s probably a little bit of different terminology, different techniques that we’re trying to work on,” coach Charles Lee said. “I do think that’s just trying to continue to challenge him., though. We have to learn if he can guard one on one or do we need to send a double team every time? Or are you going to foul?
“So, I think that’s something as a staff that we’ve got to figure out, what are we comfortable living with. Also, through conversations with him — can he just sit down and guard his yard, and commit to just showing his hands and defending without fouling?”
Lee wants Ball to offer a little give and take at times. Subtle resistance can be a good thing, provided it’s utilized at the appropriate occasion.
“We don’t want to shake anybody’s hand after they score, but I can live with some of the tough Payton Pritchard end-of-shot-clock fadeaway jumpers or the Jayson Tatum end-of-shot-clock fadeaway stepback jumper,” Lee said. “It’s the ones where it’s just blow-bys or, again, to me they are almost non-competitive fouls because you are kind of just giving up on the play by just fouling a guy.
“It’s not just Melo, it’s a collective group effort.”
Ball must find an effective formula to be a ringleader defensively, though. That process is ongoing and it’ll be imperative to have constant video sessions, allowing him to better break down what’s happening. Ball admits as much.
“Watch the film,” he said. “Just come back, watch the film and see what you’re doing wrong and try to fix it from there — reach downs, silly fouls.”
If Ball can get things shored up defensively, it could spur him to another All-Star-type season, his first since 2021-22. Heading into Saturday night’s action, he was one of five players in the NBA this season to average 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal, joining Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Atlanta’s Trae Young.
He also was tied for seventh in points (29), third in made 3-pointers (4.8) and 12th in assists (6.4) per game. And according to Stathead, Ball is the second player in league history with 30 or more made 3-pointers in his team’s first six games, a feat only also accomplished by Charlotte’s own, Golden State’s Steph Curry.
“He’s been a great playmaker,” Lee said. “I think in our early offense with the ball, he’s done a great job of creating off the pick-and-roll. Sometimes he gets a little sped up and I don’t think the rest of the team can keep up with his pace, but he still happens to make something happen out of nothing. I think his off-ball habits have improved.
“You’re seeing him get a couple more catch-and-shoot threes because I think he’s trusting Tre Mann to run a pick-and-roll, or he’s trusting Brandon (Miller) or Miles (Bridges) or whomever it may be. He’s putting it together on both sides of the offensive side of the ball in terms of playing on the ball and off the ball.”
In other words, right in his comfort zone.
“Whenever the ball is in my hands, I feel good for real,” Ball said. “I’m just out there and getting back to it.”
