LaMelo Ball has exceeded expectations in the National Basketball League in many ways. In terms of production, after a slow start, he has more than come around, culminating in his recent historic triple-double. Off the court, he has drawn an international audience and repeatedly broken attendance and viewership records.
One of the less-discussed areas of improvement for Ball has been in his mental approach to the game. After years of playing in disorganized leagues and without having to run any sort of system offensively or defensively, Ball has been forced to adapt with the Illawarra Hawks.
Following his 30-point triple-double on Monday, teammate Tim Coenraad brought up Ball’s progression in that area and how impressed he was with it.
“He hasn’t really played any structured basketball. He’s 18 years old and he’s coming into a league that’s really well-scouted. Everyone pretty much knows what everyone’s running and you have to make adjustments. I think one of the things that he’s shown that I think has surpassed all our expectations is his ability to learn on the fly.
Compare him at the start of the season compared to now, it’s 10 times the better player cereberally with his mindset. For an 18 year old kid, that’s pretty impressive.”
Ball’s ability to absorb the information about these systems and learn on the fly shows how high his basketball IQ is. It’s one of the more underrated aspects of his game and more of a sign of how successful he could be at the next level.
On a game-to-game basis, Ball has improved on both ends of the floor, which shows not only an improving understanding of what’s happening on the court but a willingness to learn as well, which is just as important. With that as well, Ball will only continue to improve as he grows more and more comfortable in the league, meaning even bigger heights could be in store for he and the Hawks.
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