LaMelo Ball has been exceptional since he got into the NBA, winning the Rookie of the Year award in his first year. He has the Charlotte Hornets buzzing again and has been credited for making the fans show up at Spectrum Center.
The Hornets have the third-best offensive rating in the league right now and are ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 16-17 record. Perhaps they would have had a better record if Melo did not miss a few games, as he makes the team play better.
Even as the fans are thrilled with his performance, the management is more impressed. The sophomore has received high praise from team owner Michael Jordan in the past, the Hornet GM Mitch Kupchak also has nice things to say about Melo.
According to Sports Illustrated, the former Lakers GM, while being careful not to outrightly compare Melo with the legendary Kobe Bryant, has said that the point guard reminds him of Kobe.
"Whether it’s making a bad pass or two because maybe he tries to stretch the limits of the pass, he’ll do it a third time. If he misses two or three threes, and there’s two minutes left to the game, he’ll take another one. He doesn’t get rattled, and he has great confidence in his abilities.”
Kupchak also commented on one of the reasons the Hornets targeted LaMelo in the draft. Melo, who played in Australia before entering the draft, caught the eye of the Hornets' GM because of his willingness to compete and take on stronger guys.
"Some of the guys he was going up against were in their 20s and 30s. They’re strong and physical, and they compete. If you’re afraid of contact or afraid of getting physically worn down every game by these guys, then that’s not a good thing. We didn’t see that.”
So far this season, Melo is averaging 19.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists, and 1.8 steals. He leads the team in all the aforementioned stat lines and could make his first All-Star appearance.
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