Is it possible for Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball to surpass his career triple-double total of nine in a single season? This proposal appears to be something that could come to fruition in the eyes of Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale.
Favale, covering the Hornets’ entry into Bleacher Report’s Unhinged Takes for Every 2023-24 NBA Team Right Now, believes that Ball can register 10 triple-doubles this season, eclipsing his career total of nine coming into the season.
Scoring and assists are two areas in which Ball could exceed 10+ in every game. In fact, that should be the expectation in each and every game for the Hornets’ star. There is one area that could be an issue for Ball to register 10 or more on a nightly basis, rebounds. Favale would note that the presence of Charlotte’s big man in the middle, Mark Williams, may make it difficult for others to grab their fair share of rebounds.
"“Boarding double-digit rebounds on 10-plus separate occasions feels like the biggest reach. Though LaMelo has the size and transition license to crash the glass, Mark Williams’ gargantuan self gobbles up everything in sight, and other Hornets perimeter players have the runway to pursue, grab and go.”"
If Ball is going to get close to grabbing 10 or more boards in a contest, it is going to be a situation where multiple things align in his favor. One such scenario played out in Charlotte’s loss to Detroit Friday night. Williams was limited to just three rebounds in 21 minutes of play. Williams would commit five fouls during the contest, removing Charlotte’s best rebounder from the equation. This would lead to two things. One was Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson corralling 17 and 13 rebounds respectively. The other was Ball being tied with Gordon Hayward for a team-high in rebounds with nine.
With 20 points scored, Ball was just one rebound and one assist shy of his first triple-double of the season. Expect more performances similar and even better than this outing, as it appears to only be a matter of time before Ball notches his first of what should be many triple-doubles this season.
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