Which Hall of Famer was Hornets’ LaMelo Ball compared to?
Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball is an immensely talented player. So much so that many believe he can ascend to the next level and become a superstar in this league. But a recent comparison has Ball compared a legend of the game.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently compared Ball to Hall of Fame guard “Pistol” Pete Maravich in his Hall of Fame Comparisons for NBA’s 25-and-Under Stars article. Swartz would note Ball’s playmaking ability being similar to that of Maravich during his time in the NBA.
"“Like Maravich, Ball is one of the best playmakers of his generation and a talented scorer as well. Be it full-court scoop passes, no-look lasers to the corner or spin-cycle dimes that somehow end up in a cutting teammate’s hands, Ball is as creative of a passer as the NBA has today, much like Maravich a half century ago.”"
While Ball is clearly in the same arena passing-wise as Maravich, he is still a little ways away in the scoring department, as Maravich once led the league in scoring.
"“Ball does stand two inches taller than the 6’5″ inch Maravich and is more of a true point guard, although he’s yet to reach his comparison’s scoring ability. Maravich led the NBA in points per game in 1976-77 (31.1) and dropped 68 against the New York Knicks on Feb. 25, 1977 with no three-point line.”"
Ball is working his way towards getting to the level of scorer that Maravich was, seeing his points per game average increase from 15.7 as a rookie to 23.3 in year three. Unlike Maravich, who did not have a three-point line for all but two seasons of his career, Ball can take advantage from deep as he did last season, making four threes per game.
When it comes to comparisons, seeing Ball mentioned in the same sentence as someone with the amount of talent Maravich possessed is quite the honor. Whether or not he reaches those same heights by the time his career ends remains to be seen, but if he is unable to do so, it will not be due to a lack of talent, as he is one of the most talented players in the league. Ball just needs to put it all together and most importantly, stay healthy along the way.
