LaMelo Ball is one of the most hyped prospects coming into this year’s draft. A popular basketball influencer among the younger generation, the youngest Ball is touted as the best one in the family. Detractors may point to his jump shooting form and abysmal percentages playing abroad in New Zealand. Fans may point to the eye test, his playmaking ability, and comfort with the ball. Sometimes you can’t teach natural feel for passing, and Ball has plenty of it.
There are a few reasons why LaMelo Ball is likely to succeed in the NBA. LaMelo Ball is a top tier point guard who can hang with the best of them. In the preseason game against the Raptors, LaMelo Ball wasn’t a factor scoring-wise, but instead found other ways to influence the game.
Ball showed flashes of his elite playmaking in transition, throwing flashy passes around like he’s Magic Johnson. While he’s nowhere close to the caliber of Johnson currently, his natural feel for the game gives the Hornets a glimpse of their future. Ball impacted the game against the Toronto Raptors without scoring the ball, just like an elite player would on an off-night. LaMelo Ball worked hard to get boards and showed why his size as a point guard could benefit him in the future.
LaMelo Ball is someone who is oozing with potential. Despite a subpar scoring showing in his 16 minutes on the floor, Ball found ways to impact the game like a veteran would. Despite it only being a preseason game, it is hard to stay away from thinking about what is in store to come. LaMelo Ball plays the Raptors again on Monday, so perhaps we’ll see more of his talented playmaking against Eastern Conference contenders.
