{"id":675460,"date":"2026-03-24T00:31:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/675460\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T00:31:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:31:07","slug":"hormets-lamelo-ball-named-eastern-conference-player-of-the-week-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/675460\/","title":{"rendered":"Hormets\u2019 LaMelo Ball named Eastern Conference player of the week"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the Charlotte Hornets\u2019 latest victory<\/a>, Brandon Miller gave a different take on the play of star guard LaMelo Ball<\/a> this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHim on the defensive side, nobody really talks about it,\u201d Miller said. \u201cI 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\u2019s him just trying new things.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo him being open-minded is great for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apparently, the NBA agrees.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Charlotte Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signals his made three-point basket to a Memphis Grizzlies defender during Saturday\u2019s action at Spectrum Center. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com <\/p>\n

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\u2019s averaging 19.7 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Charlotte Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball gives instructions to his teammates during Saturday\u2019s action against the Memphis Grizzlies at Spectrum Center. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com <\/p>\n

Perhaps most important of all, Ball has been healthy. He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

His availability has been crucial for the Hornets and they\u2019ve benefited immensely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s him,\u201d Moussa Diabate said after the Hornets beat the Grizzlies. \u201cHow many did he have last game, 30? That\u2019s just what he does. I\u2019m not surprised or anything like that. That\u2019s his game. Sometimes we\u2019re going to have highs and lows, but we trust him all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:16 PM.<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Roderick Boone<\/a><\/p>\n

The Charlotte Observer<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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 \u201cThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air\u201d endlessly.
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