Is it time for the LAMELO BALL ERA? 🔥 + Shams’ 76ers Opening Night injury report 👀 | NBA Today

Top of the top lamelo ball. Let’s go. Let’s look at some highlights. We’re going to start with top buckets. This is offbalance 30footer to beat the shot clock. He’s so excited when he’s out there. Bob, this stuff off the spin. It should have been an A1. Seriously. Well, how about this memeing onelegged step back? It was a snatchback though. I It was like It was almost like a sham guard with a step back off of one leg. It was something he created for sure. We’ve shown a lot of threes, but he’s got a game around the rim, too. Yeah. Little put back slam over Damonte Saponis. All right, let’s go to some top dimes. Let’s start with a sweet behind the back look to Miles Bridges in the 2021 playin tournament. Nice. Good time for me. Learned that from you. Yeah, that’s sick. That behind the back thing is kind of what he does though. He did it here from finding Mason Plumbley. little skip pass. His court vision is is up there with the best of them. Yeah, he doesn’t even need to look. And then this fullcourt pass connecting with bridges one more time on this one. Underhand. Underhand tough. It’s not easy. Walking highlight. The But the confidence you got to have just to throw that. He do that for sure. How about some tough razledazzle? We’re going to start this one with a steel and then between the legs off the backboard. Lob to Montre. I love that. Could you talk that lob? Yeah. Yeah. Back of my day. No, right now. Right now, your son’s here. You can throw one up for you. It’s so creative. Off the back where it’s become a like it almost is it’s we see it. There was a week last season. We saw it all the time. [Music] And that was last night. Yeah. At Nutmeg. We might have to recreate that with you two in studio. Uh Lamelo Baldo, incredibly talented, right? It’s just his availability. That’s it. That’s really dampened the start to his young career. He became the third player in Hornets history to average 25 points a night, but he’s only played 47 games last season. And overall, he’s missed 169 of a possible 400 games in his career. And we were talking to you, you think this is a pivotal year in LaMelo Ball’s career with Charlotte? I do. I do. I think, you know, this is going to be one of those years where he need to get them into the postseason. If they don’t, then they need to go to the they need to sit down at the round table, you know, and figure out if they need to part ways. But let’s live in the moment. And the moment is we’re watching a box office talented young man in LaMelo Ball, right? Look at his numbers. Last year, 25 points per game around about eight assists. Here’s the thing. He has to be a better defender, right? like averaging a little bit over three three uh three fouls a game. The only two people that were worse than him was Carl Anthony Towns and Jiren Jackson Jr. Right. Yeah. So, as a leader, the guy that’s the franchise player, you have to take ownership and you have to defend, right? And the rest will follow. We know he could do everything else. And last but not least, you talked about it, the availability, being on the floor, being healthy. Some things you can’t control, but some things you can control, right? How many times are you in the gym? How many times are you actually doing the correctives right before the weightlifting? Right. So again, the sky’s is the limit for this young man. But I believe with him and the Hornets far as their relationship, it it is also on the clock and with the East being wide open. They need to at least get in the playoffs and it might be through the playin. I want I want to add something. We want you to say something. But you know the point the point when I say like he’s so popular to the kids like every single kid asked me are you met LaMelo Ball like every single kids know all all over the world everybody going I play in China I was in Serbia I all over I was instant everybody asked me same question you know like about about him like me ball it’s I think fun favorite like kids fun and he’s my favorite too I like when he’s on the court playing playing and have fun it’s amazing same thing with me I went to speak to a class of you know little kids elementary school kids and the first question I got do you know LaMelo Ball. His popularity is amazing. Boon, I have a quick question for you. Um, quick question. Yeah, quick question. So, my hands to Boon’s hands. If we take his camera to here, um, do I go Kawhi Leonards are about where? Well, it’s here. Kawhi Leonard is about there. So, all right, we think of Kawhi Leonard. Insane. Let’s talk about Kawhi Leonard. And the Clippers here, they’re facing the Kings in Sacramento. And the claw has been I mean he has looked good this preseason and he told me that he feels good as well. Kawawaii coming off the screen little mid-range jumper perk. I mean you know his game mimics MJ for a reason. That mid post area is dangerous. And who is that? The senior citizen CP3. I see him with the low fade. There is a they have a tough 10man rotation. I know you don’t need all 10 in the playoffs but man CP throws the lob up to John do it. Collins 24 points in this one. Look the footwork. Reigns the jumper. He had 15 points in this game. The fact that he’s playing preeason is enough. Malikica says a lot about what how Kawhai is feeling about this season. This team has options. This team has depth and this team has James Harden with a really nice find there to DJJ with the finish. LA went on to win this one. And Kawhi Leonard told me he feels good right now. He’s been more active this preseason than in recent memory. He’s played over 27 minutes in the game against the Kings on Wednesday night. That is his most perk in any preseason game since 2018. And that was the start of his lone year in Toronto where he led them to a title. Mark it October 16th, 2025. Perk, I am excited for the Clippers and for what Kawi Leonard can do here. Following a developing story out of Philadelphia when we will see Philly Stars, it feels like it’s always a developing story, but we’re developing again. We don’t have the graphic to go with that. So Paul George has been working to come back into form after having arthoscopic knee surgery in July. And Nick Nurse said today that PG participated in a limited five on five. The last two practices that’s reignited the question when will he be available for Philadelphia? And when we have questions Shams has the answers. The city of Philadelphia is waiting. Shams when will Paul George be available this season? Malikica, I’ve been talking to people in Paul George’s camp, and I’m told that it is not expected that he will be suiting up for opening night next Wednesday in Boston. I am told though that he is making significant progress after having offseason arthoscopic knee surgery and a return, a debut should be shortly into the regular season. He still has some check marks he has to hit from his rehab process because remember Paul George never got right last season after having a hyperextended knee. He had multiple other knee injuries in the preseason early in the year and every time he really rushed back because of not only the Sixers start to the year, the other injuries this team had, Joel Embiid, other players, that was his first season in Philly as well. So Paul George never had the chance to be fully himself, fully healthy. And that’s why being back exactly when he feels like he can be comfortable and sustain his health, that’s been a big part of all this to not have a repeat of last season. So, he’s feeling better and better each day, each week. But the Sixers know they need Paul George to be Paul George. And so, if he if it takes him some more time, he’ll have to do that. Yeah, a little bit slow and steady here for Paul George, an opportunity he really wasn’t afforded last year. You mentioned Joel Embiid. We’re still waiting to see his preseason or season debut. What more can you tell us about when we should expect maybe to see the big man back out on the floor? The Sixers are hopeful that Joel Embiid can play Friday in their preseason finale uh and as well as opening night next week in Boston. But like a lot with Joel Embiid, it is dayto-day. every single game status for him is based on how he’s feeling at practice, at shootound, how his body is holding up dayto day. And so that’s Joel Embiid’s status. A guessing game with Joel Embiid is something obviously a a lot was done even internally in Philadelphia last year. So right now they’re taking a dayto-day. There is a lot of hope though. Okay. Still hope that we could see Joel Embiid though as soon as even the preseason. That’s something that we didn’t feel like we would be saying even a week or two ago. O Shams, thank you so very much for that insight. Two media athlete members, why not do one Bob and Perk award here. This is the best offseason nominees. LeBron James. This is a heck of a picture. Klay Thompson, Victor Wyama, or was it Boon? Oh, this this is so neat. Best offseason workout. I got to go with Victor Wimbeyama. What he did? Oh, well, I’m going to go with Bob. I would say Bob. This is my first time seeing this. Do it for us. It’s been so much fun having you. Thank you very much. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Boban Marjanović and Kendrick Perkins join Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss LaMelo Ball’s preseason play, the Los Angeles Clippers and an injury report on the Philadelphia 76ers.

0:00 LaMelo Ball mixtape
2:18 Pivotal year for LaMelo?
4:15 Malika vs. Boban’s hands
4:45 Kawhi Leonard tape
6:15 Shams Charania on Paul George
7:56 Joel Embiid’s status

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36 comments

  3. he's probably gonna get injured again, I think the chance of him being out of the league in 5 years is higher than a lamelo ball era coming true

  18. Availability is key for LaMelo but Charlotte needs others to contribute as well. No disrespect to Miles Bridges but he can’t be your 2nd best player if you want to see success. Hes a lower tier 3rd-high tier 4th option on a playoff caliber team

  19. The thing people hate is that Lamelo plays the game his way not like a traditional point guard but what’s wrong with that we need some flare and uniqueness in the game the only thing he hasn’t done is won that’s why everybody don’t like his style but if he was winning nobody would say nothing I think he brings a different style to the game ja got high flying dunks any got high flying dunks curry shoots deep 3’s Lebron dominates Lamelo plays with flare that’s just him

  28. LaMelo’s game has that free flowing, creative, playground energy the kind you see in elite pickup runs, but executed at a pro level. He improvises, plays with rhythm, and trusts his instincts more than sticking to a rigid system.

    That’s what separates him from traditional point guards like Chris Paul or Tyus Jones, who thrive on structure and system basketball. Melo’s more like a modern showtime point guard flashy, unpredictable and fun to watch

  29. lamelo plays blacktop style basketball, and it works for him pretty well!! just imagne if he took his career more serious…..this is him just playing around/non chalant..having fun

  30. He's a flashy loser at the nba level. On a contender he would have to be a russian roulette 6th man. I would let him go in and shoot away for 10 to 15 min. If he makes shots I'll leave him in the game. If not oh well. The problem is his contract. But i mean if Charlotte doesnt care about winning let him retire there. He's entertaining if nothing else and it is a business.

  34. LaMelo is a clown. He cannot make these plays in a winning team and most of those shots are not good shots. His availability is not his only problem. That's only one of them. He shot 40% from the field, 33% from three and he has the highest usage rate in the NBA.

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