LaMelo Ball was touted to be one of the best players in his draft class before the 2020 NBA Draft class. He was viewed as a player who could possibly become as good as his brother Lonzo Ball, or perhaps develop into a superstar with time. The potential was there, for a franchise centerpiece. But he had some unknowns too: his efficiency during his time playing in New Zealand wasn’t good, and no-one was sure whether the way he played would fully translate to the NBA.
LaMelo Ball has taken people’s doubts and thrown them out of the window. LaMelo Ball is having a pretty stellar rookie season and is many analysts’ frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award. Here are a few reasons why LaMelo Ball could get his first accolade in the NBA at the end of the season:
3. LaMelo Ball Has Media Attention
LaMelo Ball is one of the most dazzling players to watch play. The way he passes is beautiful to watch, and his game is very pleasing to the eye. The best way to describe LaMelo Ball’s passing would be to say that any pass he throws could become a highlight. LaMelo Ball is a flashy player, and he isn’t afraid to try and do the spectacular. His game is designed for the highlight reels on Twitter, and media attention inevitably plays a part in award selection. Many people love watching LaMelo Ball: that attention is bound to translate into momentum for his ROTY campaign, and many voters will support him getting it.
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges already have an elite connection.
This duo is must-see TV 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/1asTN7gBDB
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) February 4, 2021
LaMelo Ball has a great player who can finish his highlight reel passes in Miles Bridges. The duo’s connection has been hyped up, and Bridges’ dunking combines perfectly with Ball’s passing. At the end of the day, LaMelo Ball is must-watch basketball: he has the exposure needed to be a prime ROTY candidate.
2. LaMelo Ball Has Been Elite Statistically
LaMelo Ball has been extremely promising from a statistical standpoint. During his rookie season, he is averaging 14.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.1 APG. His game shows a well-rounded start to his NBA career: LaMelo Ball looks like a stat accumulating machine, as he affects the game in every statistical aspect. One of the biggest concerns about LaMelo Ball was that his jumper wouldn’t translate to the NBA: he shot an abysmal 25% from 3PT range with the Illawarra Hawks, but that hasn’t been a problem in the NBA. Ball shoots a solid 35.9% from 3PT range in the NBA, and his jumper has clearly improved.
LaMelo leads all NBA rookies in:
🏀 Total points
🏀 Rebounds
🏀 Assists
🏀 Steals
🏀 Double-doubles
🏀 Triple-doubles
🏀 Player effficiency rating pic.twitter.com/oSpeT8OrBD
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2021
While this data doesn’t include Ball’s recent game against the Grizzlies, the point that is being made by the SportsCenter Tweet is pretty clear. LaMelo Ball has statistically distinguished himself as a player among the rookies of this year, and he is showing that he can be truly special.
1. LaMelo Ball Is Finally Starting
LaMelo Ball has had to earn coach James Borrego’s trust, as Ball originally started on the bench as he got used to the game. Now that he is in the starting lineup and able to use his passing to the fullest extent, he is showing teams what he can do. With Ball on the bench, perhaps he wouldn’t have gotten the award due to the limited impact that he’d have. But there’s no reason that he shouldn’t have started: he is clearly talented, and here are some more numbers to back it up.
19-year-old LaMelo Ball is the youngest player in NBA history with 7 threes & the youngest Hornet with 20 PTS/10 AST.
24 PTS (game-high)
10 AST (game-high)
7 3PT (game-high)
7 REB
in 32 MINSpic.twitter.com/HS67BAchi8
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 9, 2021
LaMelo Ball is the youngest player ever with at least 34 pts, 8 asts, 0 TOs. Two years, 134 days younger than Michael Jordan.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) February 6, 2021
These statistical feats came after LaMelo Ball has gotten the nod from coach Borrego to start. It is clear that a slight boost in minutes and the ability to play with the starters have gotten the best out of LaMelo Ball. Ball was going to start eventually: there’s no reason to pick someone with the No.3 overall pick and not play him heavy minutes on a re-tooling franchise. LaMelo Ball is showing what he can do as a starter, and he’s always been capable of things like this. Had LaMelo Ball gotten benched even further, who knows how the rest of the season would have gone? He is finally being given the reins to the franchise, and he’s repaying their trust.
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