Nick Crain | 1/12/23

Even with NBA League Pass, it’s tough to watch every player across the league closely. The biggest names always rise to the top, but there’s quite a few athletes that are doing incredible things but not getting as much credit as they deserve. Leveraging ProFitX, we can quickly identify players that are flying under the radar or quietly having tremendous seasons. One of those players in the 2022-23 campaign is LaMelo Ball, who is emerging as a young star in this league. What should you know about the Charlotte Hornets guard as he continues to rise as one of the League’s most polarizing players?

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Current Production Value

After missing significant time to start the season, Ball is back in action and having the most productive year of his career. While the Hornets aren’t winning many games, he’s continuing to prove why he was worthy of a top pick in his draft class. With the way he’s currently playing, Ball is more than a 4x return on investment based on what he’s being paid relative to performance value.

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Key Attributes

Not only did Ball look great when joining the lineup after missing the start of the year, but he didn’t skip a beat. The 21-year-old has dished out a career-high 7.8 assists which has been a catalyst for the Charlotte offense. When the ball is in his hands, the young guard is one of the best in the league at making things happen at all three levels.

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Important Roles

Ball is an incredible offensive talent, ranking highly as a playmaker and scorer. However, he’s got a ton of work to do as a defender. If he is going to make the leap from a rising star to a legitimate superstar, Ball will need to start being more effective on that end of the floor. At 6-foot-7 he’s got the versatility, but it hasn’t translated on defense. Regardless, he’s quietly one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA.

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Offensive Hot Spots

Again, Ball can score from all three levels. And with that in mind, over half of his shot attempts this season have come from beyond the arc (where he’s been pretty effective). What’s more impressive is his midrange game, as he’s shot 44.9% from 3 to 10 feet and 47.8% from 10 to 16 feet from the basket. Finally, Ball converts on 61.1% of his shots within 3 feet of the rim.