When tasked to come up with a bold prediction ahead of the 2021-22 season, NBA.com's Kyle Irving predicted Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball would be an All-Star this season.
It's not looking so bold anymore.
At the halfway mark of his sophomore campaign, Ball is making quite the All-Star case for himself, leading the Hornets with averages of 19.4 points, 7.6 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. For perspective, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is the only player in the league that leads their team in each of those four statistical categories. Ball comes close, trailing Miles Bridges (20.0) in scoring for the Hornets.
Reminder: Ball is just 20 years of age.
Not only is Ball reinvigorating Charlotte's fan base with his play, but he is also playing a large role in the Hornets' re-emergence as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. Sure, Charlotte is currently hovering just above the .500 mark, but it's doing so despite having one of the NBA's toughest schedules to this point in the season. The Hornets remain in the thick of the East's playoff race even with 26 of their 44 games to date being away from Charlotte (including two Western Conference road trips), the reward being they now have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league.
Ball has played a key role in their early-season success, recently recording back-to-back wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, including the go-ahead bucket in the second victory.
.@MELOD1P = #NBAAllStar ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #AllFly | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/cmSNe2VlLZ
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 11, 2022
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In addition to his numbers being of an All-Star caliber, Ball's displaying the poise of an All-Star on a nightly basis.
Whether it's his all-world passing ability:
TOUCHDOWN! 🏈 @MELOD1P ➡️ @gordonhayward #AllFly pic.twitter.com/baztovqhtg
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 26, 2021
🤯 LaMelo to Plumlee 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2022
The behind-the-back dime sets up the Mason Plumlee reverse on NBA League Pass! @hornets and Bucks ➡ https://t.co/L8Rrlv9ZoR pic.twitter.com/kDR6TLkiU4
His improvement as a finisher:
. @MELOD1P going coast-to-coast for the AND ☝️ #AllFly | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/mkLVb3h9JT
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 20, 2021
His commitment to growth as a shooter:
LAMELO FROM D33P‼️ 👌 @MELOD1P | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/ipqiYDylXS
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 23, 2021
Logo LaMelo strikes again! 👌👌👌 @MELOD1P | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/eMrxxso5cs
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 25, 2021
Or his fearlessness in the clutch:
He's built for these moments 💪 @MELOD1P | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/oJIDJhNiT5
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 23, 2021
A STAR IN THE MAKING! ⭐ @MELOD1P | #AllFly pic.twitter.com/55YDlQ4RGO
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) December 2, 2021
Ball passes the All-Star eye test, but does that guarantee a selection?
MORE: How to vote for 2022 NBA All-Star Game starters
Last season, six Eastern Conference guards were selected to the All-Star Game. Assuming the same number of guards is selected in 2022, the question becomes whether or not Ball has established himself as one of the six best guards in the East.
Here's where he ranks among Eastern Conference guards:
- 11th in points per game
- Fifth in assists per game
- Second in rebounds per game
Of guards in the East, it's fair to consider the Bulls' duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as locks, as well as the Nets' James Harden, who is working on his 10th consecutive All-Star selection. After those three, Ball will be in competition with the likes of Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Trae Young for what could be the final three guard spots.
In the second returns of fan voting, Ball remained fifth among Eastern Conference guards behind only DeRozan, Harden Young and LaVine.
The first EAST returns for #NBAAllStar 2022!
— NBA (@NBA) January 6, 2022
Do you agree??
Vote today for #NBAAllStar Voting presented by @TISSOT on the NBA App, https://t.co/nXTUUCAgzN or on Twitter using #FirstNameLastName and #NBAAllStar.https://t.co/5gEHCtSONf pic.twitter.com/O4qmWGAYyy
Considering the difficulty of their schedule, Ball's Hornets have looked to be just as good as Beal's Wizards, VanVleet's Raptors and Young's Hawks up to this point in the season, if not better. The Celtics have been better in spurts but Brown could be set back by missing a chunk of time due to injury. Garland, on the other hand, has played an integral role in the Cavaliers' success this season, but his numbers don't quite measure up to Ball's.
It's no secret that Miami has the makings of a title contender but it's highly unlikely that both Herro and Lowry represent the Heat in the All-Star Game. Given the impact that doesn't always show up in the stat sheet, Lowry feels like the most likely candidate.
With Ball checking all the criteria of an All-Star, he's building a case stronger than a number of his peers in the Eastern Conference.
An All-Star bid in 2022 would mark the first of many.
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