Charlotte Hornets News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Oct 15, 2025; Greensboro, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) rubs his wrist while waiting to inbound the basketball during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at First Horizon Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

NBA Star LaMelo Ball Puts Together Timely Showing

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 10:51 PM ET

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets put together a timely showing on Thursday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

While the preseason doesn’t for anything beyond this week, and the Hornets were facing a winless Memphis team without its top star, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball put together an impressive game just as his value for the Hornets is back in question.

Earlier this week, some criticism surrounding Ball made its rounds on social media. As ESPN insiders discussed the state of the league, Ball’s name came up with a not-so-positive analysis. Apparently, it’s not a “controversial” sentiment either.

“LaMelo Ball’s a mega-talent,” Tim MacMahon said on the ‘Hoop Collective’. “I just don’t think he can be the face of a winning franchise. And by the way, that's not considered a controversial opinion when you talk to people within the league. Nobody that intelligent should get back cut on a regular basis defensively. He doesn't care. He does not care to compete."

️ @BannedMacMahon: "LaMelo Ball is a mega talent, who I just don't think can be the face of a winning franchise."

"And by the way, that's not considered a controversial opinion when you talk to people within the league." pic.twitter.com/6qZHsXKULD
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) October 13, 2025

It’s unclear if Ball heard the comments or not, but if he did, the on-court response was just right.

Checking in for 28 minutes on Thursday night, Ball put up 16 shots from the field, tying Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges on his team for attempts. The veteran guard went 7-16 from the field, 4-12 from three, and 5-5 from the charity stripe to produce 23 points.

Along with his scoring, Ball dished out eight assists, came down with five rebounds, and collected a steal.

WHAT. A. SEQUENCE.

LaMelo Ball Brandon Miller pic.twitter.com/sSZUviqg4T
— NBA (@NBA) October 16, 2025

The Hornets destroyed the Grizzlies with a 145-116 score. Charlotte advanced its record to 2-2 on the preseason, knocking the Grizzlies down to 0-4. The Hornets will close out their exhibition schedule on Friday against the New York Knicks.

Make no mistake about it, Ball still has a lot to prove. One preseason game against Memphis won’t change the narrative, but Thursday’s game was a reminder of who he is and also what he could do for the Hornets, who have to turn around the state of their franchise soon.

After last season, the Hornets have gone on three years outside of the Eastern Conference’s top 10. They finished with a 19-63 record last season.

Considering Ball was selected third overall by Charlotte in 2020 and is on a $203 million contract, he has a lot of pressure to put the organization on the path to contention. So far, he hasn’t been able to do that, giving his critics plenty to talk about. Soon, we’ll see if Ball can change the narrative as he heads into his sixth season.