LaMelo Ball's offense is one of a kind.
Ball's electric play of basketball stems all the way since his high schools days — scoring 92 points in one game back in 2017. And he continues to show the same kind of offensive prowess in 2025, eight years later.
The 2024-25 season has been eventful for Ball. Injuries, an All-Star snub, and a losing record for the Charlotte Hornets have accumulated to numerous outcomes, but his performance has yet to see any change.
The Chino Hills, California, native is averaging 26.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 33.6 percent behind the three-point line.
LaMelo Ball has been one of the better shot-makers in the 2024-25 campaign
Despite his elite statistical output, people have found ways to criticize his play. But as some say, "Numbers don't lie." One stat in particular has shown how elite Ball's shot-making has been this season. As James Plowright pointed out, he is on par with Tyrese Maxey, Franz Wagner, Cade Cunningham, and Luka Doncic.
LaMelo Ball and Tidjane Salaun stand out for polar opposite reasons.
— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) February 18, 2025
Incredible how much flak Ball takes considering he’s close to Maxey, Wagner, Cunningham and Doncic.
Even if Salaun makes progress, he’s a long way off from ranking out even close to average https://t.co/nYdam8eNNq
For reference, some of those who rank toward the bottom of the chart are Nicolas Batum, Mason Plumlee, Ben Simmons, and Tidjane Salaun, who has a long way to go before becoming an average shot-creator.
It's hard to go against the stats. Ball has been converting his shots on a high volume of attempts — something not easy to do whatsoever, especially since he lacks teammates who consistently help out in scoring. As expected, Ball continues to take crazy, acrobatic shots, but somehow they fall through the net. It has been unreal and has continued to send Hornets' broadcaster Eric Collins into a frenzy on live TV.
However, as seen, Ball's career faces the challenge of overcoming injuries — arguably the only obstacle standing in his way from continued success.
Injuries are inevitable. If this weren't the case, everyone would be Superman. For whatever reason, Ball's ankles have been plagued with injuries time and time again. But after each of his returns, his performance seems to never miss a beat.
Perhaps Ball should've been an All-Star. After all, he placed first in the fan voting, but that oversight is all water under the bridge now.
The Hornets are not having the best season by any stretch, but Ball being the face of the franchise gives the fans a little bit of hope. Injuries to key players such as Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Tre Mann do not help, but the show keeps on moving.
One downside to Ball's injury problem is that with the upcoming draft, the front office might possibly look for its next superstar. The 2025 class is loaded with talent, from Duke University's Cooper Flag to Rutgers University's duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
However, anything else happens, Ball will still continue to ball.