LaMelo Ball Praised by NBA Exec: 'Not Many See the Game Like He Does'
LaMelo Ball's jump shot remains a work in progress, but the rest of his game is drawing praise after a solid preseason debut.
"He can't shoot, but not many see the game like he does," a league executive told Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Ball went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting but grabbed 10 rebounds and had four assists in the Hornets' 111-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors. His floor vision and brilliance as a passer were on full display as he set up teammates on a series of eye-opening dimes.
That said, the jumper isn't close to being NBA-ready. Ball's feet on his gather and release remain inconsistent, which leads to shoddy mechanics. That will have to be ironed out on the fly given the limited amount of time he's had to work with Hornets coaches in the offseason.
The team apparently plans to bring him off the bench, as Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier got the start against Toronto.
If Ball can find even a league-average jumper, he'll be an offensive force at the NBA level, but he's not going to ascend to superstardom overnight.
