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Predicting LaMelo Ball's 2024-25 Season Statistics

Ball is looking for a bounce back year after an injury hit previous two seasons

James Plowright

Jan 26, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports / Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
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LaMelo Ball played only 22 games last year before an ankle injury ended his season. He started slowly due to limited training camp participation after a previous ankle surgery. However, between the 6th and 15th game of the season, he had his best stretch of his career for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. His performance during those final 10 games was arguably the best of his career. However, the small sample size of these injury-affected games makes predicting his stats for next year challenging.

2023-24 → 2024-25 Prediction

Minutes: 32.3 → 32 .0
Points: 23.9 → 24.2
Rebounds: 5.1 → 6.1
Assists: 8.0 → 7.7
Turnovers: 3.8 → 3.1
Steals: 1.8 → 1.7
Blocks: 0.2 → 0.3
FG: 43% → 46%
3FG: 35.5% → 38%
FT: 86.5% → 84%

Explanation

Projecting Ball's season is tough because he's rarely been healthy over the past two seasons, missing significant time. This undoubtedly affects his development. However, I believe we'll see a more efficient LaMelo Ball, as head coach Charles Lee favors a team-oriented offense rather than a high-usage role for Ball. This should improve his efficiency and reduce turnovers. With the emergence of Miller and Bridges, his scoring will likely stay about the same, but his assist numbers may see a slight increase.

The Hornets could look to manage Ball's minutes on back to backs this season following a nightmare two years of injuries. I haven't predicted "Games played" for players, but it wouldn't surprise me if Ball plays under the 65 game threshold to make him ineligible for NBA All-Star and All-NBA selections.

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James Plowright

JAMES PLOWRIGHT

Twitter: @British_Buzz Linked In: James Plowright Muck Rack: James Plowright About Me Bylines for: Sports Illustrated, Sky Sports NBA, SB Nation, Queen City Hoops Based in Manchester in the United Kingdom, I have covered the Charlotte Hornets since 2008. When I was 16 years old I won a blogging competition on Bobcats.com, this ignited my passion for journalism and since then I went on to write for a variety of blogs; Hornets Planet, Queen City Hoops and At The Hive. In 2022 I took on the role as site content manager for the Charlotte Hornets Fannation site (AllHornets.com).  I am also the founder of the All Hornets Podcast Network, having recorded over 350+ Hornets related podcasts.  Awards - The All Hornets podcast was nominated for "Best Team Podcast" in the 2022 Sports Podcast Awards.  - I was nominated for "Sports Writer of the Year" in 2013 for LSU Media while studying my B.A in History and International Relations at Loughborough University. 

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