LaMelo Ball Shines with 18 Points, 5 Assists in Hornets' Preseason Win vs. Magic

LaMelo Ball continues to get better. 

The exciting young rookie had his best preseason game thus far on Thursday night, scoring 18 points off the bench in the Charlotte Hornets' 123-115 win over the Orlando Magic. 

Ball finished 7-of-17 from the field and 4-of-9 from three, adding five assists, two rebounds, a steal and three turnovers in 26 minutes off the bench.

It was as good as his jumper has looked, as Ball hurt the Magic from beyond the arc:

Of course, he also showed off the flashy passing and court vision that is already becoming a staple of his game in his young NBA career:

Ball showed off a few of the skills on Thursday that made him the No. 3 overall pick, and justifiably have Charlotte fans very excited about the young rookie:

Granted, his game needs work. He hasn't even played a regular-season game yet, after all. And Hornets head coach James Borrego told reporters before the game he believes Ball "can get to the rim more than he is right now."

So there is plenty of room for improvement. But the excitement is real in Charlotte.