Feb 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA;Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) brings the ball up court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

LaMelo Ball's crunch-time prowess hailed by NBA analyst

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 9:14 AM ET

When the Charlotte Hornets inevitably find themselves needing a shot to tie or win a game in 2025-26, who will Charles Lee draw up a play for? Theoretically, he'll have plenty of capable scorers to go to: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Collin Sexton all come to mind.

According to Bleacher Report analyst Greg Swartz, it should undeniably be Ball. Not only is he currently the best player Charlotte has, but he's also their most clutch. In fact, he's one of the most clutch players in the league based on some metrics.

LaMelo Ball must take last shots for Charlotte Hornets

"No player in the NBA averaged more points per game in the fourth quarter (7.8) than LaMelo Ball last season," Greg Swartz said. "It's safe to say the Charlotte Hornets will again be relying on their star point guard to take the final shot."

It helps, Swartz noted, that Ball doesn't care if he's open or not when the clock is winding down. "He's getting that thing up there, often in seemingly impossible situations," he noted. The only player in the entire NBA with a higher fourth-quarter usage rate than Ball's 35.5% was Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas.

Swartz added, "The Hornets desperately need a healthy(ish) season from Ball if they want any hope of chasing the playoffs, even in a weakened East. His late-game heroics are a major reason why."

Of course, defenses will know that Ball is the player to hone in on in these situations, which might make it difficult for the Hornets to get their desired shot.

Fortunately, they are now equipped with the aforementioned scorers to make use of the focus on Ball. If he can't get a shot, then Miller, Knueppel, or Bridges might be open elsewhere.

That gives Charles Lee some options to play with, potentially using Ball as a decoy to get rookie sharpshooter Kon Knueppel an open shot. Knueppel already has a clutch, game-sealing three in the Summer League championship under his belt.

On the other side, with better spacing and more legitimate threats for defenses to pay attention to, Ball might actually be able to get more shots in these situations. If he averaged nearly eight points in the fourth quarter without much help from anyone else, then he might really take off in crunch time with a better roster around him.