The Charlotte Hornets may be one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams, but the future looks bright because of their collection of young studs led by 2021 Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.
However, his health remains the biggest Hornets' question, as the past two seasons have seen him sit out more games than he has appeared in. Missing 46 contests in the 2022-23 season and 60 in the previous campaign has not given people around the organization high hopes about Ball's ability to be Charlotte's top gun.
Still, when healthy, he has proven to be a productive star, even if a pundit brutally described him as having an "empty calories game." He already has an All-Star selection on his resume. In addition, Ball has had appearances where he popped off and posted incredible numbers. Here, we will go through his career nights.
LaMelo Ball's career-high outings
38 points vs. Boston in the 2021-22 campaign
A few weeks before making his All-Star debut in 2022, the California native lit up the Boston Celtics to the tune of 38 points. Playing against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, he was the best player that evening. Unfortunately, the Hornets lost a close fight to the Celtics.
What was impressive about Ball's performance was his efficiency, as he went 12-24 from the field and 4-10 from beyond the arc. He was also quite busy that contest, pulling in six rebounds and nine assists.
17 rebounds vs. New York in the 2021-22 campaign
Ball's size and capability of playing the point have made him a matchup nightmare in many games. It's tough not to put a body on him because he can make opponents pay with his rebounding.
For instance, Ball grabbed 17 boards against the New York Knicks early in the 2021-22 season. His shots weren't falling in that meeting, finishing with 12 points on 4-13 shooting. Fortunately, his near-triple-double (nine assists) helped steer the Hornets to a 104-96 win.
15 assists vs. multiple teams
Facing the Knicks must give Ball a different kind of thrill because the match he recorded his career-best 15 dimes was against New York. It also happened in the 2021-22 campaign, with his passing clinic helping Charlotte go up 3-1 in its regular-season series against the Knicks.
The 2020 No. 3 draft pick then tied his career high in assists nearly a year later versus the Atlanta Hawks. He also poured in 30 in his marquee matchup against Trae Young.
5 steals vs. multiple teams
Despite his length and athleticism, Ball still has a lot to improve on defense. His lack of defensive effort and discipline and tendency to gamble have been a cause for concern for the Hornets organization and its fans.
The silver lining for the young star is that he has exhibited the ability to pick opponents' pockets and play the passing lane. His career high of five interceptions took place four times, with one of the opponents again being New York. The three other teams he registered five steals against were the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs.
3 blocks vs. Milwaukee in the 2022-23 campaign
In January 2023, Ball showed he could keep up with the league's best players when he held his own against Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. He finished with a triple-double (27 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists) and logged three steals and a career-best three blocks to boot.
8 3-pointers vs. multiple teams
One of the staples in Ball's offensive repertoire over his four years in the NBA has been his 3-point shot. He has averaged 2.9 3-pointers per contest on 37.4% shooting so far in his career.
His lethal outside jump shot was on full display in face-offs against the Bucks early in the 2021-22 season and again versus the Knicks some two years later as he drained eight makes from beyond the arc in those games.