The narrative has shifted around LaMelo Ball, even though many Charlotte Hornets fans have already known that he didn’t deserve some of the criticisms thrown his way. However, his inefficient scoring has continued to be a part of his game, and the Hornets might have to address it soon.
It is not that big an issue right now, since the Hornets have been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises in 2026. Even after losing to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, they are still on track to secure a postseason berth and even challenge for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference. And there’s an argument that Ball has been the most important player for the franchise in the past six weeks.
The enigma that is LaMelo
A curious matter about Ball is that he has the highest plus/minus among all Hornets players in this campaign, and the differences between the team’s offensive rating and net rating whenever he is on and off the court have been otherworldly. Yet, his field-goal percentage has not been up to scratch.
For the season, Ball has hit 40 percent of his field-goal attempts. To be fair, that is still a decent rate. However, what’s a bit concerning is that he has not shot over 40 percent in any game this February. And the last time he made over 50 percent of his field-goal attempts was Charlotte’s last game in 2025.
Despite the star point guard’s shooting struggles, though, the team has been much better with him on the floor. That’s because his playmaking has been elite, and his gravity has given his teammates the needed space on offense. His defense has also been solid, silencing the critics who have insisted that he will never be a plus-defender in his career.
Still, you can’t help but wonder how much more potent the Hornets’ offense would be if Ball could just connect on a few more shots each night. Sure, their platoon of rebounders has been there to clean the glass and generate second-chance point opportunities. On the other hand, there have been instances when some bad misses from Ball have allowed opponents to quickly push up the floor.
Hopefully, Ball’s shooting numbers will pick up in the next weeks, which could be key to the Hornets successfully making a playoff push.
They may be on a hot streak now, even after enduring a heartbreaker against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, and as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday with a depleted frontcourt rotation. But with the postseason nearing and plenty of squads jockeying for favorable seedings, the margin for error for the Hornets will only become smaller. Any improvement in efficiency from Melo, and the former Rookie of the Year not shooting them out of games, will certainly be helpful to their cause.