Following the Charlotte Hornets’ latest victory, Brandon Miller gave a different take on the play of star guard LaMelo Ball this season.
“Him on the defensive side, nobody really talks about it,” Miller said. “I think everybody always looks at the one-legged threes, the flashy moves, the flashy lobs. The one thing that separates him this season is the defensive effort and the competitor that he is. Just stepping up in tough games and guarding the best players and trying not to foul. It’s him just trying new things.
“So him being open-minded is great for us.”
Apparently, the NBA agrees.
Ball was named the Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, nabbing the honor for the first time in his career. In helping the Hornets (37-34) post a 3-0 record to start a seven-game homestand that continues against Sacramento on Tuesday, he averaged 26.3 points, 7.3 assists, five rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signals his made three-point basket to a Memphis Grizzlies defender during Saturday’s action at Spectrum Center. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The sixth-year guard also ranked inside the top five in the conference in points, assists and steals per game in games played from March 16 to March 22. Overall, he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
It’s been a considerably solid season for Ball, who recently became the first player in franchise history and the 11th player in NBA history to record 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in fewer than 20 minutes of action. He joined the likes of Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, Tom Heinsohn and Nikola Jokic.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball gives instructions to his teammates during Saturday’s action against the Memphis Grizzlies at Spectrum Center. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Perhaps most important of all, Ball has been healthy. He’s played in 61 games, which is second only to the 75 he logged in his second season in 2022-23 when he was named an All-Star reserve.
His availability has been crucial for the Hornets and they’ve benefited immensely.
“That’s him,” Moussa Diabate said after the Hornets beat the Grizzlies. “How many did he have last game, 30? That’s just what he does. I’m not surprised or anything like that. That’s his game. Sometimes we’re going to have highs and lows, but we trust him all the way.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:16 PM.
The Charlotte Observer
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly.
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