While the Charlotte Hornets were fortunate to have landed LaMelo Ball in the 2020 draft, they have yet to really find success with the point guard. There is no question about his basketball talent, but it remains to be seen if he is the star who can help the Hornets transform into winners.
Those who defend Ball might point out Charlotte's relatively successful 2021-22 campaign, which saw the team post a 43-39 record. That was its only winning season in the past nine campaigns. Unfortunately, injuries have limited his availability in the following years. He has appeared in just 42.7 percent of possible games in the past three seasons — not exactly the percentage expected of a franchise's best player.
The question now is whether the Hornets should continue waiting for Ball to overcome his injury and even leadership issues. Or perhaps it's time to trade him and rebuild around Brandon Miller and whoever they end up choosing in the 2025 draft.
A look, though, at the current conference finals participants could give some fans more reasons to doubt that the 2021 Rookie of the Year is the right man for the job.
Hornets have a tough LaMelo Ball decision to make
Take a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers, for instance. Those squads have secured their second consecutive conference finals berths and are intriguingly led by Ball's draft classmates, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton.
There was a time when it was a legitimate debate if Melo would be the first overall pick in a redraft of the 2020 rookie class. But now, there is little doubt that Edwards and Haliburton would make for a better franchise centerpiece than him. Is he at a lower tier below the two in terms of skill level? The jury's out on that. However, unlike Ball, they have been on the floor more than on the sidelines.
In the Hornets star's defense, Edwards and Haliburton have had a stronger supporting cast in recent years. The Wolves have assembled a roster with a couple more stars and elite role players, while the Pacers have banked on their depth.
Still, Charlotte could be thinking of moving on from Ball after seeing how Minnesota and Indiana's respective conference finals foes have nearly made it to the top of the NBA.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have also created an incredibly deep team, while the New York Knicks executed shrewd moves and wisely spent their draft capital to acquire several stars. However, the engines that have run both squads are superstars who were brought in via trades: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
So, there is a precedent for the Hornets to consider seeking a different cornerstone via trade instead of putting their faith in Ball staying healthy and developing into a superstar.
Charlotte's LaMelo Ball decision is already complicated as it is, but a peek at the current NBA landscape may have made it tougher for the top brass.