LaMelo Ball is doing everything in his power to keep the Charlotte Hornets from slipping in the standings, stringing together three outstanding performances that have put the team firmly back in the mix. The real question is whether he can sustain this level of play when the lights get brighter and the postseason pressure hits.
Ball just notched his eighth 30-point game of the season, this time lighting up the Minnesota Timberwolves. When he’s locked in, his talent is undeniable, as he can take over as a scorer or flip the switch and orchestrate the offense as a pass-first guard. His versatility is the engine behind Charlotte’s late-season push.
But as important as these games are for seeding, the lingering concern is whether Ball can carry this momentum into a potential Play-In showdown.
Will history repeat itself?
Ball’s previous Play-In appearances in 2021 against the Indiana Pacers, and 2022 against the Atlanta Hawks were rough. Charlotte entered both games as the 10-seed and were blown out by 25+ points each time. Ball struggled mightily, shooting just 28 percent in both contests and posting plus/minus marks of -35 and -28. The -35 remains the worst on the team from that 2021 matchup, and he didn’t hit a single three-pointer in that game.
All of this came despite Ball having far better regular-season numbers against those same opponents. Does that make him a “bad” postseason player? Not exactly.
Those games came early in his career—fresh off Rookie of the Year honors and his first All-Star selection. He wasn’t as polished, his decision-making wasn’t as sharp, and his defense, while still not a strength, has noticeably improved since then. The supporting cast around him now is also significantly better than the likes of P.J. Washington, Terry Rozier, Cody Martin, etc.
New and improved LaMelo
Today’s Ball carries himself differently. Even on nights when the whistle doesn’t go his way, he finds different ways to win. He’s healthier, more efficient, turning the ball over less, and shooting the leather off the ball. Everything about his All-NBA play this year suggests he’s ready to take it to the next level: get to the playoffs.
Charlotte’s final three games of Boston, Detroit, and New York are its toughest stretch yet. The Hornets have a legitimate chance to climb all the way to the 6-seed, but that climb hinges on Ball continuing to deliver the kind of performances he’s strung together recently.
If he keeps this momentum going into the postseason, this season could look very different from the previous two stinkers in 2021/2022.