What makes the back court duo of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller so potent?

Matt Alquiza | Nov 24, 2024

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Have you ever played Super Smash Brothers Brawl against somebody who mains the Ice Climbers? The Arctic duo that dominates their competition with a flurry of tag-team moves is a potent pairing when controlled by a maestro on the sticks who understands their attack and movement patterns. If somebody can fully actualize their potential, the Ice Climbers are a game-breaking pair.

Just like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

The Charlotte Hornets starting back court has been sizzling. Ball and Miller are coming off a two-game heater that hasn't been seen since the Durant and Westbrook days in Oklahoma City, and it feels like their best basketball is still lightyears ahead of them. Ball, 23, and Miller, 22, are both the present and the future of professional basketball in the Queen City. Let's take a look at what makes their partnership so special.

LaMelo Ball's individual brilliance

It starts and ends with Ball's unrivaled ability as an isolation scorer. I've detailed time and again this season how impressive LaMelo's driving ability, a trait that has transformed him from a perimeter weapon into a true three-level demon, has been, and in Charlotte's two most recent contests it has opened up everything for him and his back court running mate.

The clip above is just one of many that flashes Ball's elite space creation skill. His ability to open up oceans of distance between himself and his defender on step backs comes from his prowess when he attacks the cup. According to Shotcreator (a new tool for NBA fans that is invaluable), Ball attempts 8.8 drives per game, tied for the highest mark in the league with New Orleans' Zion Williamson.

Shotcreator Data

Ball is shooting 55% in the paint, a league-average number, but when paired with his similar averages from deep (35.6%, a 56th percentile number across the NBA) and the sheer volume of shots he attempts (12.8 three-pointers per game, the most in the league), it's near impossible to guess Ball's next move as he slithers around the court and attempts shots from every inch of it.

Oh, and he can do things like this.

Ball's pinpoint passing and Miller's three-point marksmanship

Not only is LaMelo Ball a true one-of-one scorer, he is also one of the game's premier playmakers. LaMelo's ability to place passes with archer-like accuracy into this teammates shooting pockets puts the game on easy-mode for his litany of snipers. The most accurate, and the biggest beneficiary of Ball's passing wizardry, is the aforementioned Brandon Miller.

Everything about this play is basketball nirvana. The feathery touch and inch-perfect accuracy of LaMelo's rainbow pass. The rugged (legal) screen from Grant Williams to clear the way for Brandon Miller. The stellar sophomore's quick trigger that got the shot up mere milliseconds after catching it.

Chef's kiss.

During Miller's three-game bender in which he answered any questions about his slow start, he is shooting a blistering 55% from deep (19/34). Ball has assisted on 14 of his 37 total makes in the last three contests, more than the rest of his teammates combined.

On catch-and-shoot attempts in his last three contests, Miller is shooting 60.9%, a stretch that looks like the fully actualized version of himself that resembles a prime Klay Thompson from behind the arc combined with Paul George's length, athleticism, and mid-range touch.

How high is their ceiling?

The indelible talent of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller has willed the Hornets to contention in recent matchups. Miller took center stage on Thursday's win against Detroit with an overtime flurry that had Eric Collins ascending to previously unseen planes of existence, while Ball one-upped his back court mate by dropping a career-high 50 points in Milwaukee on Saturday, nearly erasing a 20-point fourth quarter deficit on his own.

The ceiling that these two give the Hornets is sky-high. Charlotte, 6-10, currently sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, one spot outside of the Play-In tournament. The team has managed to compete against a difficult early-season schedule with a laundry list of key contributors sidelined from night to night.

Preseason prognostications pegged Charlotte as a lottery team, but the lunar leap that it's two superstars have made has erased any thoughts of capturing the Flagg. Who knows how far a healthy Charlotte team can go? Contributions from role players Josh Green and Cody Martin have exceeded expectations, and the eventual return of Mark Williams and Nick Richards will fortify the Hornets leaky front line that Moussa Diabaté is singlehandedly patching.

Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson have been gift-wrapped one of the league's most potent back courts, and assuming health, it's difficult to image that the pairing won't continue to improve as they receive more on-court repititions in competitive games.

As is stands, the Charlotte Hornets are the early season's League Pass darlings. If LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have anything to say about it, they'll become the late season's NBA playoff darlings before too long.

LaMelo Ball's individual brilliance

Ball's pinpoint passing and Miller's three-point marksmanship

How high is their ceiling?

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