LaMelo Ball is continuing to evolve, showing promise as a two-way player

It's early, but the Charlotte Hornets have to be thrilled from what they've seen out of LaMelo Ball thus far.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

One of the biggest concerns surrounding Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, aside from his health, is his ability to play winning basketball on the defensive end of the floor.

It's not that he plays with a lack of effort on defense like some national pundits suggest. It's about being more calculated in his aggressiveness and not racking up senseless fouls, and playing more of a standard brand of basketball defensively.

Through the first two games of the preseason, you can see a difference.

Is it a finished product? No, absolutely not. But it's night and day from the last time we saw him on the court. The focus, the attention to detail, and the energy are all there. The next step is playing that way consistently every possession, every night.

Offensively, he's maturing as a player too. It's not showboat style of play 24/7, although he'll add in a wrinkle of creativity here and there. He's been efficient shooting the ball and creating plays for his teammates in new ways which his head coach talked about in Tuesday's postgame press conference.

Charles Lee on Ball's performance this preseason

“On top of being a two-way player I love how he’s been able to play with the ball in his hands and also off the ball. His improved running habits off the ball, getting some more catch-and-shoot threes, and trusting his teammates.

"We talked about some of our pick and rolls and can we hit the seam a little bit more? Can we let our bigs create an advantage and hit them in the seam? And I think tonight we hit them in the seam a couple of times tonight and the defense collapsed and we had some kickoff threes. His overall growth and development and his trust in all of the guys is just continuing to grow. And tonight is just another night that he you see some good reps and some chemistry offensively.”

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