Should LaMelo Ball be an All-Star? Hornets react to star guard’s absence on roster
Don’t tell Charles Lee the Charlotte Hornets shouldn’t have the face of the franchise fully entrenched in next month’s All Star Game festivities, representing the Eastern Conference.
When the reserves were unveiled Thursday for the NBA’s Feb. 16 midseason showcase in San Francisco, LaMelo Ball’s name was nowhere to be found. And that didn’t sit well with the Hornets’ coach.
“It’s unfortunate,” Lee said. “In my humble opinion, he has been an All-Star. He’s done a great job of just helping this team in a lot of different ways — helping us weather the storm during injuries, helping put us in a situation to be in a lot of these close games that we’ve been in. I think his numbers have been phenomenal. His play has been phenomenal.
“He’s gotten better in a lot of different areas. It’s unfortunate, but I think it’s one of those things where we just keep pressing forward — the votes are in. I know he will use this as continued fuel as he always is just trying to strive to be the best player he can possibly be.”
If anyone knows the importance of Ball, it’s Lee. He’s had a first-hand view of Ball’s progression during his fifth season and the Hornets once again saw how much he’s missed during their 112-104 loss to the LA Clippers at Spectrum Center on Friday, when they couldn’t close things out in crunch time.
Dressed in a tan-colored sweatsuit, Ball sat out for the second straight game as he nurses a sprained left ankle suffered in Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s out for at least the next two games before being re-evaluated, temporarily halting his productive season.
He’s certainly been playing at an elite level, ranking fourth in the league in points per game. In 31 games this season, he’s posting a career-best 28.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.4 steals.
Those gaudy numbers are what helped Ball garner the most fan votes among players in the Eastern Conference. Ball finished third in the player vote, and seventh in the media votes.
But his exploits on the court aren’t the only thing that’s left an impression.
“I’ve just noticed with him and a lot of guys on our team, they have taken to a lot of the structure we are trying to implement,” Lee said. “I feel like I’ve seen his routines, his habits get better and better.
“Starting in the offseason when he was here in Charlotte throughout the whole summer, working out with Lamar (Skeeter) and all of our coaches that were on board, taking the time to actually learn about his body a little more, and wear braces and trying different thighs to just make sure he was as healthy as possible coming into the season. So, I thought he did a lot of great preparation work, and getting our team together, coming out to Vegas.”
That’s not it.
“And even more behind the scenes,” Lee said, “just every day he comes in ready to work when it comes to his treatments, his weight room sessions, watching film, being more involved in our film sessions as a team, and communicating and talking. So, there’s just been a ton of growth from him throughout the whole year.”
Ball impresses opponents, too
The improvement in Ball’s game is apparent to LA Clippers coach Ty Lue.
“He reminds me a lot of P.G.” Lue said, referring to Paul George, the former Clipper now with Philadelphia. “Just being able to defend, able to make plays, running pick and roll, be able to catch and shoot, be able to come off screens, get to the basket. All around, unique, really good player.
“And so, just hate to see injuries take effect this year for him. But maybe he can sit back and learn and continue to keep growing. But he’s a really good player.”
That’s what made the reserve selection process all the more difficult for the coaches. Sifting through the candidates can be an arduous task.
“It’s tough because like you said we have a lot of good players in this league,” Lue said. “And you have a lot of people playing better than some guys. So, it’s hard to really choose. Different players mean something different to the team. And so you can’t take all the guys. We know that.
“We’ve seen that (be) the case with Norm (Powell), who is deserving as well. So, it’s hard. You choose and pick guys and kind of see who’s playing best for their team, who’s making their team win and kind of go from there.”
Could Ball still be an All Star?
The door isn’t completely shut on Ball’s bid to earn a second All-Star nod, though. There’s still an outside possibility he could land a spot if someone is injured leading into the game and can’t play. It’s up to NBA commissioner Adam Silver to name a replacement.
That’s what happened in 2022 when Silver tapped Ball to step in for Kevin Durant, who was then a member of the Brooklyn Nets, and became the fourth-youngest player in league history to make the team at 20 years, 182 days to earn the honor, trailing only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
His teammates felt he’s been snubbed over the last week.
“Of course, I thought he should have made it,” Miles Bridges said after pouring in a team-best 27 points against the Clippers. “But life goes on. I saw Melo walk in the arena with a smile on his face. He’s still happy, still going on with life. But I think he deserved it.”
Minus Ball, the Hornets are forced to dig deeper within themselves and that could prove to be beneficial when he returns.
“Just uplifting everybody’s confidence,” Bridges said. “Everybody is playing with confidence. KJ (Simpson) came in, did a great job. Moussa (Diabaté), he’s been great all year for us. But it’s just other guys stepping up and gaining their confidence while he’s gone.”
The Hornets are just glad Ball isn’t going to be unavailable for a lengthy extended period. But expect the health and performance staff to be extremely cautious with him, ensuring he crosses the 2024-25 finish line without any setbacks leading into the offseason — similar to what they’re attempting to do with Mark Williams, who missed his second straight game due to left foot injury management.
“We’ve talked about it in the past, just trying to take a big picture view and long-term view with Mark and his health,” Lee said. “He’s working through the season, and we’re just trying to put him in the best position to be successful and continue to have longevity throughout the year.
“It’s just one of those moments during the year where we’re trying to just manage him and his body. I think that he’s done a great job. He’s already played more games than he did last year. Just trying to be mindful.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 10:09 PM.
