RADIO
The Charlotte Hornets certainly don’t have an encouraging track record with top-10 draft picks. Since drafting Kemba Walker ninth overall in 2011 – the franchise’s clear best draft pick ever – the team went on to select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012, 2nd overall), Cody Zeller (2013, 4th overall), Noah Vonleh (2014, 9th overall) and Frank Kaminsky (2015, 9th overall).
Not inspiring company for LaMelo Ball, the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, to join.
Will Ball be able to help turn the Hornets’ franchise around? And how does he fit amongst the players currently rostered by the team?
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The Talent
First off, if you didn’t get enough of it in pre-draft or live draft coverage, here it is again: LaMelo Ball is an absolutely exceptional passer. He has vision that simply can’t be taught. He’s creative and he has fantastic instincts.
Like his older brother Lonzo Ball, LaMelo’s shooting stroke is a bit awkward, but it has been effective at times. His shooting abilities and his defensive abilities are the two big questions around his game. At 6’6” with a 6’6” wingspan, LaMelo should be able to at least use his length to his advantage on the defensive end, but he could still struggle to stay in front of a number of top NBA guards.
Hornets Backcourt
Prior to the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Hornets made a questionable decision to invest a great deal of capital into point guard Terry Rozier, giving him a three-year deal worth $58 million. Rozier went on to have a predictably volatile season where he shot 42.3% from the field while averaging 18 points per game, 4.1 assists per game and 2.2 turnovers per game.
Last year’s big surprise for the team was the emergence of second-year pro Devonte’ Graham. A 2nd round pick from 2018, Graham averaged 18.2 points per game and 7.5 assists per game while hitting 3.5 threes per game last year. He shot just 38.2% from the field, but he was a revelation regardless, especially given the fact that he averaged just 4.7 points per game while playing under 15 minutes per game as a rookie.
The last primary piece of the puzzle is Malik Monk, a lottery pick from 2017 who struggled significantly his first two years before taking a bit of a step forward last year. He shot 43.4% from the field in 2019-20 after shooting under 40% over his first two seasons.
Rozier and Graham are both ball-dominant guards, which is certainly concerning for LaMelo Ball. Graham could be in line to serve as the second unit point guard or we could even see him develop as a more of an off-ball guard. Monk profiles as a perfect fit alongside Ball if he’s able to shoot more consistently. Monk and De’Aaron Fox made up a fantastic backcourt at Kentucky thanks to Fox’s passing prowess and Monk’s off-ball abilities and shooting.
So it’s essentially Rozier who is the big question. He’s got two more years on his sizeable contract and he just seems destined to hurt Ball more than help him as long as he remains on the team. Rozier was unhappy with a bench role in Boston, which led him to Charlotte in the first place. Losing minutes to a rookie guard certainly wouldn’t sit well with the veteran Rozier. If the team finds a way to move Rozier, LaMelo would greatly benefit. If he remains in the picture, LaMelo could have a substantial obstacle impeding on his growth and productivity.
Hornets Frontcourt
Prior to the recent Gordon Hayward acquisition, this unit was looking pretty dire. Even with Hayward, there's a severe lack of depth up front for the team, but Hayward's presence gives LaMelo a big safety net.
Hayward will function as a secondary ball-handler and creator for the Hornets, but he is also extremely effective off the ball, which is where LaMelo will benefit significantly. Hayward can knock down outside shots and he can also finish down low, making him a great complimentary piece to LaMelo.
6’7” forward PJ Washington highlights the rest of the unit up front. As a rookie last year, he showed some promising versatility, averaging 12.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while knocking down 1.5 three pointers per game at a 37.4% clip.
Cody Zeller will be back at center as Charlotte fans are well-accustomed to. Mark him down for another year of averaging around 10 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting around 50% from the field.
Miles Bridges, who projects to be the team's first forward off the bench, took a solid step forward in his sophomore season last year, averaging 13 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game. However, he still seems to somewhat lack an identity in the league.
Bottom Line
The Charlotte landing spot was about as bad as it could have been for LaMelo Ball. Few teams in the league are as directionless as Charlotte is right now. Few teams have as lackluster of a roster from top to bottom as Charlotte.
In Minnesota, Ball could have flourished with D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. In Golden State, Ball would have greatly benefitted from the up-tempo offense and the tutelage of Stephen Curry.
The one clear benefit of Charlotte’s uninspiring roster is that Ball should be the clear focal point of the franchise going forward, assuming he’s able to take the proper development steps. The team will – ideally – build around him and find more shooters and add more frontcourt depth.
In Minnesota and Golden State, Ball likely would have fallen into more of a supporting role in the outlook of the respective franchises.
For fantasy purposes this year, he should be a solid and cheap source of assists. However, his sleeper appeal and upside is significantly compromised by Rozier’s presence.
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