The Charlotte Hornets are one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises early in the 2024-25 season. They might be just 2-3 in the standing after their loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday, but they have unexpectedly become among the league leaders in rebounds and 3-point shooting.
A key reason behind the Hornets' improvement is LaMelo Ball. It appears he has been able to shed the injury-prone label that had plagued him in the previous two seasons.
Not only that, but the young point guard has also been one of the league's best players. He ranks in the top 10 in average points (29.0) and makes from beyond the arc (4.8).
Ball's aggression has been a boon and a bane
Watching Ball this season shows that a key difference in his play is his aggression. He has been getting to the line more often and has been more assertive on defense. Of course, that is a positive development, especially after coach Charles Lee has emphasized how important it is for the Hornets to make the squad a stingy defensive unit.
However, that hasn't always worked out well for Ball.
Firstly, his turnover ratio is off the charts. He has been giving up the ball at a rate of 5.4 per game, and his turnover ratio (the percentage of a player's possessions that end in a turnover) over his first four appearances this season was 16.0.
Charlotte can probably live with his erratic play — as long he is on the floor to finish games to give the team a chance, especially in close contests.
Unfortunately, the 2021 Rookie of the Year has been committing fouls at an alarming rate, 4.8 per game, to be exact. Last week, his stellar performance against the Atlanta Hawks was marred by erratic play, as he fouled out with 3:33 left on the clock.
Against Boston, Ball had to watch his teammates try to rally for the win without him once more after he committed his sixth foul with 1:56 remaining in the contest and the Celtics leading 116-105. It was even upgraded to a flagrant foul type 1, as the officials deemed it a dangerous move on Jayson Tatum, who was attempting a jump shot.
Curiously, his last foul came seconds after Grant Williams was ejected for unnecessarily charging at Tatum, with the call being ruled as flagrant foul type 2.
The Hornets are likely fine with Ball being extra aggressive and expressing his frustration at times. However, he has to learn to be more disciplined because his squad needs him to close out games.
Or perhaps the Charlotte organization and its fans can chalk the 2022 All-Star's latest ejection up to lousy officiating. It's worth noting that the Hornets were called for 26 fouls, while Boston was whistled for just 13 and had a 35-12 advantage in free-throw attempts.