LaMelo Ball is starting to embrace two-way play

LaMelo Ball is undoubtedly the Charlotte Hornets' franchise cornerstone. As a 6-foot-7 guard with elite passing and scoring abilities, he has already become a fan favorite with the wider NBA audience. Unfortunately for Ball, two injury-riddled seasons have limited his ability to stack All-Star appearances.

However, this season, under new head coach Charles Lee, Ball is thriving. The 23-year-old is averaging 29.3 points, 7.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. However, his biggest improvement has come on the defensive end, where he's holding opponents to 49.6 percent shooting from the field. Ball is using his size and length to impact opposing threats and is emerging as a reliable point-of-attack defender.

During a postgame news conference following the Hornets' 110-105 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Miles Bridges praised the impact and growth of Ball's defense.

"He’s definitely stepped up defensively," Bridges said. "Just wanting to play defense has been LaMelo’s mindset this whole year. As long as he continues to want to play defense, he’s going to be good at it. He’s 6-7, long – he’s good."

As with most talented young players, defense is often a secondary consideration. Ball has spent the majority of his career being a "one-way player." If he can sustain both effort and impact on the defensive side of the floor, his overall value to the Hornets will skyrocket. After all, there aren't many 6-foot-7 athletic guards defending the perimeter. The switchability he provides Lee will be essential to the franchise developing a genuine identity on that side of the floor. 

Assuming Ball continues his newfound desire to be a two-way star, Charlotte will have an elite young pairing with him and Brandon Miller. Lee's coaching is having a positive impact on his young roster. If everything continues moving in its current direction, it won't be long until we're talking about the Hornets as a genuine playoff team.