Hornets HC Calls LaMelo Ball One of NBA's Best Players But PG Must 'Get Stronger'

Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee expressed full confidence in LaMelo Ball’s talent but noted, "he's got to get stronger" as the young point guard continues to develop.

"Teams are trying to deny him, trying to be physical, and you can see early in the year when teams did it, it definitely bothered him," Lee said in the team's exit interview, per the Associated Press. "As he got used to it, he got a lot more comfortable, so it's going to start with his body. He's got to get stronger and more conditioned to be able to play both sides of the ball and sustain efforts. … When you're one of the best players in the league, you have to be ready for physicality. In order to combat that, you have to be stronger."

Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson echoed Lee's sentiments that Ball is one of the great players in the league.

"LaMelo, he can be as good as he wants to be, and we've seen that," Peterson said, per the Associated Press. "He's played at an All-Star caliber level. I told him this the other day that I've been fortunate, and Charles has too, to be around some great players in this league, and LaMelo is very unique and does some things that no one else can do, quite frankly."

The 2020 third overall pick averaged 25.2 points in his fourth season, along with 4.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from three — both career lows.

The 23-year-old stands at 6'7" and is listed at just 180 pounds, making Ball the 32nd lightest player in the NBA — and the second-tallest among that group.

Gaining muscle is a priority for Lee and the team in Ball's offseason, though they have not specified exactly how much weight or muscle he needs to gain.

"I definitely agree," Ball said, per the Associated Press. "Just being in the weight room, and everything they're saying."

The muscle and weight increase will be part of Ball's recovery from surgery on his right wrist and ankle. He will "absolutely" be ready for training camp and next season, per Petersen, with The Charlotte Observer's Rod Boone reporting that he will be able to resume basketball activities in 5-6 weeks.