Four players who need to step up: LaMelo Ball, Point Guard, Charlotte Hornets
Let’s start with the obvious, if the Hornets want to be competitive at all this year, Ball needs to take on a bigger load.
Last season’s rookie of the year established himself as this franchise’s future, averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. In his second season, Ball will need to improve these numbers and sustain his shooting percentages to stay on his trajectory as the franchise player.
Ball appeared in 51 games, however, he did not start his first 20. This season expects to see Ball as a starter in every game he plays.
Also expect to see Ball on the floor at the end of every close game. With Graham out of the picture, crunch time minutes will no longer be split between Graham, Ball, and Terry Rozier. Ball and Rozier have solidified themselves as Charlotte’s closing backcourt giving Ball another role he did not have all the time last year.
The biggest area Ball needs to improve on is his defense. Do not get me wrong, he is a decent defender. He is quick and never gives up, occasionally getting steals by picking someone’s pocket or jumping into a passing lane, but far too often, last year, Ball looked lost on defense.
Hopefully, this is a problem that goes away with time. Adjusting to the NBA can be tough and with the little time he had to prepare last offseason, it is a miracle he did not look worse. This season, look for Ball to better understand defensive rotations, given the amount of time he has had to learn them this offseason.