Is Hornets’ LaMelo Ball worthy of All-NBA nod? ‘It’s a no-brainer,’ teammates say
Upon arriving to the Charlotte Hornets after getting traded from the Chicago Bulls, Coby White didn’t need an introduction to LaMelo Ball.
White was already familiar with the Hornets’ star point guard.
“My perception really hasn’t changed much to be honest,” White said. “I met Melo before I even got to the NBA. I got a chance to get to know him and work out with him a little bit. He’s always been competitive, but he’s always had very high energy. Always been goofy, but he’s always loved playing basketball. So, that’s the most important thing.
“Since I’ve been here, I think you’re going to get the full authentic Melo. And you can’t not be full of joy around him. I feel like he’s the type of dude that just lights up any room he’s in. So, everybody knows how good he is on the court, but he’s an even better human being off the court.”
Ball is under strong consideration for All-NBA honors, entering the conversation thanks to turning in his best season statistically since earning a nod as an All-Star reserve during his second year in the league in 2021-22.
Finishing second in the NBA in made 3-pointers with 272, trailing only rookie Kon Knueppel, and ranked ninth in the league in assists per game at 7.1, Ball hovered among the upper echelon in both categories all season. He also joined rare company, becoming one of five players in NBA history to drain 250 3-pointers and dish out 500 assists in a season. The others?
Charlotte’s own and Golden State star Steph Curry, Cleveland’s James Harden, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ball’s 2.8 turnovers per game were also his lowest since his rookie campaign. And beyond the offensive side, he has become more dependable on the defensive end, too. The 2.7 fouls he averaged per game were his fewest since he entered the league in 2020-21.
“I think it just helps the team,” Ball said. “Everybody’s locked in, everybody’s trying to play defense and then it’s just get out here running. I think it helps it all.”
Put it together and White believes there shouldn’t even be a question regarding Ball’s candidacy for All-NBA honors. It should be a slam dunk — or an alley-oop pass in Ball’s case.
“He’s an engine, he’s the leader of the team,” White said. “And you go from last year 19 wins to this year 44, that’s something, you don’t really see that often in the NBA. Him being an engine and a leader of the team, that speaks for itself. But I think it’s just the growth he’s made over this past year in terms of also showing that he can be a guy on the winning team.
“I’m going to always revert back to if you win, you should get rewarded. I think that jump that he’s leading this team to from 19 to 44 wins and being in the postseason playing basketball, that’s the case right there.”
The Charlotte Observer spoke to several of Ball’s teammates to get their take on why they believe Ball should be named to one of the three All-NBA teams.
Miles Bridges
“I think he should be All-NBA,” Bridges said. “He stayed healthy this year. He focused on his body and he put in a lot of work. And I think he deserves it. On offense, he’s been our engine and then on defense he’s definitely improved.”
Bridges lauded Ball’s engagement level on the latter and that side of the court.
“Yeah, just caring,” Bridges said, “and it’s just if he cares, he’ll be a great defender. He’ll steal the ball. He’ll talk on the defensive end. And this year we’re playing something, so he cares. He sees that defense can win.”
Kon Knueppel
“He’s been the head of the snake all year, does a lot of things for us offensively, obviously,” Knueppel said. “It creates a lot of opportunities for all of us. And obviously as the point guard, he’s the one that you want to have the ball at the end of games. And yeah, he’s been a good leader for us.”
With the tandem finishing first and second in the NBA in 3-pointers, they’ve already developed a chemistry and synergy that’s unmistakable. They work well together.
“I think he’s easy to play with,” Knueppel said. “I’m just trying to make his life easier. Try to give him as many outlets as I can when I need to, try to just get open for him. But also, if he tried to play with pace, that’s been a thing for us all year. He likes to get out and run.
“So, getting out and running with him, just trying to find opportunities to relieve some of that pressure off him.”
Grant Williams
“I’m sure he’s All-NBA,” Williams said. “He’s been a fuel to our team. He’s played, he showed up, he’s been available. That’s one of the questions of him in the past. He’s shown that he can perform when he’s on the court, and also his efficiency has come up. Not just in terms of his shot-making, but also his playmaking. He’s the guy that has fueled our run and our turnaround to be able to make our first home postseason game in 10 years.
“You look at LaMelo, he’s a player that not only is exciting, he’s a person that’s deserving because of his competitive effort. Not only on the offensive end. You look at back in the day, he was one of the worst defenders in the NBA. Now, I don’t think he’s statistically even close. I think that all those things accumulated add up to him being All-NBA. And I don’t know if you can name four or five better point guards than him today.”
That’s when Williams reiterated Ball’s defensive turnaround.
“You can no longer say he’s just an offensive plug,” Williams said. “He’s a guy that’s been playing both ends. He’s not a lockdown defender by any means, but he’s also not a slouch. I think that you have to give him credit for that. Now you look at LaMelo, he’s a two-way player. He’s a guy that has committed to both sides of the basketball, and he’s committed to winning.
“And he could always go out there and get 36 points and 12 assists and do that every single night. But you see him take a lesser role in terms of the scoring and to promote others. And that shouldn’t take away from him as far as candidacy. That should add to it.”
Moussa Diabate
“The progression that he’s made, he’s shown that he’s taken it another step,” Diabate said. “Obviously, he’s the snake of our team, the head of the snake. And he’s shown it. So for us, it’s just we all understand, and we all see the progression. I think that everybody’s seen it throughout the league. Just look at what he’s doing. To me, it’s a no-brainer.”
Diabate joined the chorus praising Ball’s “huge amount” of improvement on defense.
“I think that now he’s no more of a liability there,” Diabate said, “and not that he wasn’t (trying). But I think that he’s more so putting his mind into it now. He’s changing the whole dynamic. It’s amazing. It’s really a huge progression. And that just shows how great of a player he is and how much he wants it, how badly he really wants it.”
