Charles Lee speaks on the 'bad reputation' LaMelo Ball gets and why it's way off base

“It’s a joy (to coach him). I think even last year, he showed his willingness to want to get his teammates open. That’s not the case for everybody. And sometimes he gets a bad reputation for just wanting to score, but I actually think he’s much more dynamic than that. He’s much more well-rounded. He’s one of our best ATO screeners because he’s excited to get another teammate open to get a bucket or to get a lob or something. It excites him. And I think with his continued work in the weight room, he’s added some lean muscle mass, which then gives you the confidence to continue to kind of be physical too. I’m just really proud and happy of the growth he is making.”

For those who just happen to look at the box score every night, rather than actually watching the games, it's easy to say, well, 20-25 shots is way too much, and scoring is all he cares about. But what those folks don't realize is that when he's been on the court the last couple of years, other key pieces around him haven't been. For Charlotte to even have a chance, he had to have the ball in his hands and put up a few more shots than normal. With a relatively healthy roster to begin this season, we should see fewer games where he's jacking up a ton of shots.

LaMelo and the Hornets will lift the lid on the 2025-26 season this Wednesday at home against the Brooklyn Nets at 7 p.m. ET.

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