LaMelo Ball’s first season in the NBA was a wholly successful season one despite it beginning with little-to-no preparation before the season. Ball was drafted to Charlotte on Nov. 18, 2020, and began training camp on Dec. 4, barely two weeks later.
With a chance now at a full offseason following the team’s loss to the Pacers in the play-in game on Tuesday, Hornets head coach James Borrego detailed some of the areas he will work with his young point guard.
“It’s one of my top priorities this summer is to really work with this kid to develop him, work on offense and defense and I think he’s taken steps in both those areas,” he said. “But we got to take some major steps and I think it starts with his body and then working through the offense and defense. We’ve got a ways to go but the kid is hungry. He’s receptive. He’s coachable. He’s got a knack for the game. He’s got the intangibles that you can’t teach. The pieces that we need to work with are very coachable.
“Throughout our program, we have a history of guys getting better in the offseason, taking a step forward, and I expect Melo to do the same thing. This is a kid that wants to work,” Borrego added. “He loves the game and I think that alone is going to give us a chance with Melo, that he loves the game, he loves being in the gym, he understands he needs to get better and he wants to get better. When our guys have that approach and that mentality, they’re going to get better in this program.”
There are various aspects of Ball’s game that could be worked upon. While he was a 35.2% 3-point shooter this season – a surprisingly high figure based on where most projected him to be as a shooter coming into the season – Ball’s jumper may be one of the first areas that’s changed. Particularly, the inconsistent footwork on his jumper seems like a prime example of more subtle changes that could pay big dividends.
On the other end of the court, Ball has lots of strides to make defensively, which Borrego acknowledged as well.
“It’s absolutely an area of growth for him but I think that’s with everybody,” he said. “He does have to grow on the defensive area and I’ve seen growth throughout the season with him. But he’s a young 19-year-old that has not had this type of experience before and been held accountable defensively. That’s an area of importance for us. For us to be a high-level defense, we’re going to need everybody to be their best including Melo.”
The good news for both Ball and the Hornets is that the program has a track record of improving players with plenty of examples on the roster. No one player may be a bigger testament to the program than Devonte’ Graham, a second-round draft pick that has blossomed into a starter-level point guard.
Miles Bridges’ jump in production this year is another example of the Hornets’ player development program. Even players coming into the program like Terry Rozier have seen jumps in production.
Pair Ball’s work ethic with the Hornets coaching staff and program and it certainly spells out wonderful possibilities for the future in Charlotte.