Zach Lowe believes LaMelo Ball still has the potential to be a star, but he needs to fix some big problems in his game last season.
The upcoming season is going to be a big one for the Charlotte Hornets. For the first time in years, the Hornets have an exciting roster, all healthy and ready to go.
The Hornets have put together a strong roster, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and rookie Kon Knueppel forming a formidable core.
LaMelo Ball is looking to bounce back after struggling to be consistent for years. And while the Hornets are putting Ball in a controversial role, he could be great for the Hornets.
LaMelo must prove that he can be a reliable player who can impact winning. And despite failing to do so, some people aren’t willing to quit on him yet.
Photo by David Jensen/Getty ImagesZach Lowe says LaMelo Ball must ‘rope in the wildness’ of his game to achieve greatness
Zach Lowe spoke on his podcast about LaMelo Ball heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. Despite his inconsistency, Lowe is a believer in Ball.
He believes his shooting and offensive gifts are still there. And if he can curtail his bad offensive habits and poor decision-making from last season, LaMelo can rise to superstardom.
“I feel like we’re two of the last people on the ‘LaMelo (Ball) might still be really good’ bandwagon. I’ve said this over and over: 6’8”, proven track record as a great three-point shooter…
“When you consider how many crazy shots he’s taken, his pull-up three numbers are really, really good; his catch-and-shoot three numbers are elite.
“With that kind of passing vision, that’s a… unicorn is too strong a word. You don’t find many guys like that, and I’m not giving up on it.
“I thought last year he veered toward, ‘Well, what else am I gonna do? Who am I passing to? I’m just gonna take another pull-up three.’
“I know the coaches are on him about, ‘Okay, that was last year. This year, can you bag some of the crazier ones to let other people touch the ball?’
“If they can rope in the wildness of his game, on both ends of the floor, because defensively, he might be even more wild than he is on offense. I’m just not out, and I’m not gonna be out… I think LaMelo is a really good offensive player.”
Charlotte Hornets dependent on LaMelo Ball’s form next season
It’s fair to say that the Charlotte Hornets’ success next season is reliant on how well LaMelo Ball plays next season.
The former All-Star and Rookie of the Year has shown in his first two seasons that he can be the best player on his team, but has rarely achieved that level of consistency ever since.
Now that he has had an offseason to rest and recover, LaMelo can not only get back to playing high-level basketball but can also become a great playmaker again.
LaMelo’s playmaking will help elevate their young stars like Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, who will get easy looks to score well.