The Charlotte Hornets have improved to 2-21 in contests without LaMelo Ball this season, completing a comeback victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. It was certainly an inspiring win for the Hornets, as they fell behind by as many as 17 points in the third quarter.
Interestingly, the Nets had a win probability of 97.4 percent at the 3:42 mark of the fourth period while holding onto a 102-93 lead. However, Charlotte scored 12 unanswered points from that point to escape with the dub and snap a nine-game losing streak.
Making it more impressive for the Hornets was that they had to make a rally late in the contest despite missing Ball, who was sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back. The last time they won without their star was in early December when they defeated the Indiana Pacers behind Brandon Miller's 26 points. Against Brooklyn, the Hive relied primarily on Miles Bridges, who, incidentally, scored 26.
LaMelo Ball draws comparison to Trae Young but without the big playoff games
It's hard to imagine where Charlotte would be without Ball this season. It has a 13-27 record whenever the star suits up that, when extrapolated to the course of an entire regular season, would still have the team well outside the play-in picture. So, his injuries have definitely been a massive issue, but the Hornets aren't exactly world-beaters, even if he is around.
Regardless, Ball's production has been impressive, and his electrifying play style has captured the fancy of countless fans. Unfortunately, he has yet to prove capable of transforming a squad into a consistent winner.
Ryen Russillo of ESPN discussed the Hornets on his podcast, praising the squad for their significant improvement on the defensive end of the floor. However, he brought up a troubling shooting trend concerning Ball. Russillo noted that Melo's 3-point shooting percentage has declined for four straight seasons. He is hitting a career-low 33.5 percent from beyond the arc, as well as 40.7 percent from the field overall.
The media personality then compared Ball to Trae Young, bringing up how the point guards are fun to watch and are the respective faces of their franchise despite having flawed games. A key difference per Russillo, though, is that Young has won high-stakes contests for the Hawks. In contrast, the 2021 Rookie of the Year hasn't even experienced the playoffs yet. The farthest he has gotten is the play-in tournament.
Still, Ball is possibly the most talented hoopster to represent the Hornets in recent history. And lest we forget, in his most recent healthy campaign, the 2021-22 season, he helped lead the team to one of the best post-Christmas runs of this century en route to a winning record.
Perhaps the 2025 All-Star snub just isn't cut out to be a franchise savior. Sure, he has the talent to be one, but he has a long way to go before proving he can be the best player for a playoff contender.