All Hornets

ESPN analyst questions LaMelo Ball's ability to play winning basketball

A brutally honest evaluation on the Charlotte Hornets star guard.

Schuyler Callihan

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
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Many outside of the organization or those who don't cover the Charlotte Hornets on a daily basis don't realize how much LaMelo Ball cares about the game. For whatever reason, there's always been this narrative surrounding him that he doesn't care all that much about winning and that it's not a priority for him. If you've spent any time around him, you know that to not be true.

Nonetheless, the narrative continues. ESPN's Tim McMahon gave a brutal opinion on the Hornets' star point guard and questioned his desire to be great on a good team.

“I don’t know that LaMelo Ball can play winning basketball. I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can be the franchise player on a winner because he’s got a pretty empty calories game. The man can fill up a box score, but his efficiency despite the fact he shot the three pretty well, his efficiency is garbage. His defense is horrific. And I don’t see a lot of evidence that the guy considers winning to be a priority.”

Sure, Ball has to improve on the defensive end and needs to be better with shot selection, but that has nothing to do with his desire to win. He hasn't been available for much of the past two seasons due to lingering issues with his ankles. When he's on the floor, he plays with a lot of energy and emotion. He just has to learn how to channel it and know when to play at a calmer pace and not go for the highlight reel every time he has an opportunity to make a play.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

schuylercallihan(at)gmail.com  Twitter:@Callihan_ Schuyler Callihan is the lead publisher of Mountaineers Now, All Panthers, and All Hornets on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. He took over publishing duties of All Panthers in 2020 and wanted to expand his professional coverage in the Queen City by running the operations at All Hornets. Schuyler attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia before finishing up his schooling at Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina. The Wheeling, West Virginia native made the move to North Carolina in 2015 and has been in Charlotte since 2021.

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