NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
LaMelo Ball feels like the most polarizing player in the NBA. His highlight reel is a thing of beauty, full of dazzling passes, daring crossovers, and pull-up shooting with range that only Steph Curry can rival. Of course, Ball can also be a maddening player. His shot selection is exasperating when the ball isn’t going through the net, his on-ball defense can be atrocious, and there are many examples of his audacious passes turning into unforgivable turnovers.
The Charlotte Hornets made a stunning decision to trade Ball on Thursday morning, sending him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, one future first-round pick, three future first-round swaps, and three second round picks. Most of the mainstream media outlets believe the Wolves are crazy for making this deal. ESPN gave Minnesota a D+ for the trade, The Athletic said it was an A- for the Hornets and a D+ for the Wolves, and Yahoo! gave Charlotte an A and Minnesota a C. Michael Wilbon said Ball isn’t as valuable as Reid.
Advertisement
It sure seems like the perception of Ball off the court is impossible to untangle from his production on it for most analysts. Ball has earned a reputation as the NBA’s clown prince for his reckless driving, his ridiculous tattoos, and his penchant to speak in slang that confuses older people. Ball isn’t actually that young anymore, he turns 25 years old just before the season, but he still feels like a caricature of everything older people don’t like about Gen Z.
The character assassinations on Ball are a little bit perplexing considering his Charlotte teammate Miles Bridges seems to face less pushback despite some horrifying domestic violence charges. It also overlooks that LaMelo is something of an analytical darling who left a massively positive influence on winning for the Hornets last season.
The Hornets started last season 11-22. After that, they finished 33-16 with the best net-rating in the NBA. With a better supporting cast around him, Ball trimmed some of the fat in his game, stayed healthy, and turned in an incredible season. When Ball was on the court, the Hornets out-scored teams by about eight…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lamelo-ball-backlash-gone-too-165445629.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-06-26 16:54:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
