LaMelo Ball Reportedly Ripped by NBA Scout, 'Doesn't Take Basketball Seriously Enough'
There are reportedly at least some questions within the NBA about whether a winning team can be built around Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
An anonymous Western Conference scout expressed their doubts to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, saying, "Yes, he's talented, but he doesn't take basketball seriously enough. It's hard to build a winner with him because of how he plays, and the liberties he takes for himself when he plays."
Ball, 24, is in the midst of his sixth NBA season, and while he has put up impressive individual numbers when healthy, the Hornets have not reached the playoffs and have finished with a winning record only once during his career.
The NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 and an NBA All-Star in 2021-22, Ball boasts career averages of 21.1 points, 7.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game.
However, he also shoots just 42.2 percent from the field for his career and turns the ball over 3.3 times per contest.
Perhaps most concerning is Ball's durability, as he has appeared in more than 51 games in a season only once in his career.
A fractured ankle limited him to 36 games in 2022-23, and the ankle issues persisted the following year, as he appeared in only 22 games. Last season, his campaign was cut short after 47 games due to ankle and wrist ailments.
Ball is already dealing with ankle issues again this season, and he has missed two of the Hornets' eight games.
Despite his lengthy injury history, the Hornets made a significant financial commitment to Ball in 2023, signing him to a five-year, $203.85 million contract extension through 2029.
If Ball can't stay healthy and the Hornets don't start to play winning basketball in the near future, it is fair to wonder if they would consider shopping Ball on the trade market.
Despite his shortcomings, Ball is reportedly still viewed as a commodity within the NBA due to his raw talent.
One Western Conference scout told Bontemps of Ball, "He still doesn't know who he is. But I think you can justify buying into the talent."
Meanwhile, an anonymous NBA executive suggested to ESPN's Brian Windhorst that Ball would command more on the trade market than other high-profile guards who could be available, saying, "If you're asking me if Trae [Young], Ja [Morant] and LaMelo all came onto the trade market tomorrow, I think LaMelo would have the best market. But that's all hypothetical right now."
Ball's career has been far from perfect thus far, but he has yet to even enter his prime, so there is at least some reason to believe that there is plenty of room for growth in his game.
LaMelo is averaging 23.3 points, 9.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.7 steals per game in the early going this season, and there are conceivably plenty of teams that would love a player with that level of production.
That hasn't yet led to team success for a Hornets team that is off to a 3-5 start, but that doesn't mean Ball's style couldn't work for a winning team in a different system.
