The key to LaMelo Ball’s next step has been revealed
Any conversation surrounding the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets must begin with LaMelo Ball. The third-year point guard has made waves since entering the NBA, taking home Rookie of the Year honors in 2020-21 before being named an NBA All-Star in 2021-22.
With his crafty mix of playmaking, shooting, and athleticism, Ball has shown that he can control the game and can do it with the flair that fans have come to love. With that said, he is far from a finished product, and with the regular season less than a month away, what new areas of his game can fans be looking for from Ball this year?
With training camp in full swing and with preseason basketball just days away, head coach Steve Clifford provided insight into one area that Ball can improve in this season.
What is the key to LaMelo Ball’s next step for the Charlotte Hornets?
For Ball to take the next step in his ascension, getting to the free throw line more often will be the key.
Steve Clifford thinks LaMelo Ball can get to the free throw more.
— Jerry Donatien (@JerryDonatien) September 26, 2022
“It could be a game changer if he averaged 3 more free throws a game.”
Ball averaged 3.2 free throw attempts per game last season, identical to his 3.2 attempts per night during his rookie campaign. Despite having the highest usage rate on the team both seasons, Ball attempted the second and third-most free throws for the Hornets in 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively. He improved tremendously in terms of his efficiency from the foul line, going from 75.8% free-throw shooting as a rookie to 87.2% last season.
Ball has been in coordination with a rules official in order to get to the foul line on a more regular basis.
LaMelo Ball has been working with a rules official of some kind to help generate more free throws and fouls this season
— Sam Perley (@sam_perley) September 26, 2022
"Need to be more aggressive, work on picking and choosing spots"
While the math will not work out perfectly, more trips to the foul line will certainly result in higher scoring output for Ball over the course of an 82-game season. With three additional attempts per game, at his 87.2% free-throw shooting percentage from last season, Ball would add 2.6 points per game to his scoring. Even without accounting for a likely increase in field goal attempts, 2.6 additional points on top of his 20.1 points per game last season would put Ball at nearly 23 points per night.
What does this all mean for the Charlotte Hornets?
The next step in Ball’s evolution as a player has been defined, and now it is up to him to take advantage once the season begins. If he is able to do so, it will result in an even better version of Ball and a better version of the Charlotte Hornets.