The level of young talent in the NBA has perhaps never been higher than it is right now. From young big men to ascending two-way wings and budding star point guards, the association will be in good hands for years to come. The Charlotte Hornets have been fortunate to have their own young star, as LaMelo Ball has blossomed into an All-Star level player and has quickly solidified himself as the face of the franchise.
In assessing the league’s young talent, HoopsHype recently asked 15 NBA executives to list their top five players under age 25 to build around. This marks the second version of this poll, as HoopsHype also conducted the same poll in January.
As expected, Ball made his way onto the list. However, his ranking may ruffle some feathers, as he found himself at eighth after finishing fourth in the initial poll. Initially ranked behind Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Ja Morant, Ball was surpassed by Evan Mobley, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, and Scottie Barnes in the updated rankings.
As stated, the current talent level in the NBA is perhaps as high as it has ever been and ranking eighth in this poll is by no means an indictment on Ball. That said, as the fourth-youngest All-Star in league history, his rightful ranking is higher. Williamson, having signed a rookie max extension and having been fully cleared to return from injury since the initial rankings, has a legitimate case to be above Ball. However, the other three players who surpassed Ball do not have as convincing a case to do so.
For starters, Ball has already proven that he can be the centerpiece of a team, something that Mobley, Edwards, and Barnes have not. Each member of that trio had at least one teammate make the All-Star team last season, and Mobley had two All-Star teammates in Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland. Statistically, Ball has led Charlotte in both assists and steals in each of his first two seasons, while Mobley, Edwards, and Barnes have never led their teams in any statistical category for a season. While they are certainly capable of doing so, they have not had to do so thus far, while Ball has already proven himself capable.
Ball also has the advantage over his counterparts in terms of advanced statistics, finishing last season with the 35th-highest PER in the league. Meanwhile, Mobley, Edwards, and Barnes finished 71st, 62d, and 65th, respectively. Ball’s immense value showed in his VORP of 3.3, good for 22nd in the league. Meanwhile, Mobley, Edwards, and Barnes finished 80th, 50th, and 55th in VORP, respectively. Finally, Ball registered the 28th-highest box plus/minus in the league a season ago; Mobley, Edwards, and Barnes finished 81st, 58th, and 65th, respectively. While one statistic may leave room for error, the weight of evidence from multiple advanced statistics favors Ball.
While certain circumstances have definitely changed since the initial rankings were released on January 10th, nothing about Ball’s performance in the interim justifies such a steep drop in the rankings. In 34 games last season before the first version of the rankings, Ball posted averages of 19.3 points, 7.8 assists, and 7.4 rebounds on 42.4/38.1/86.9% shooting splits. In the 40 games after those rankings were revealed, Ball averaged 20.7 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.1 rebounds on 43.4/39.8/87.2% shooting splits. He also registered a cumulative plus/minus of +83 after the release, compared to +18 beforehand.
While Hornets fans should rightfully be excited about Ball, the 15 NBA executives who were polled for the most recent rankings seemed to have missed the mark on his true value as a franchise cornerstone.