Sixers' Doc Rivers Loves Charlotte Hornets Rookie LaMelo Ball
For the first time in his career, Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball came to Philly to face the Philadelphia 76ers. As the third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball always has all eyes on him when he hits the court.
Although he's still a work in progress, it's clear that superstardom exists within the 19-year-old Chino Hills native. Ball's contributions over the last two games haven't helped his team's record as they went 0-2 against the Sixers recently.
However, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers offered a lot of credit to the youngest Ball brother heading into Monday's matchup against the Hornets, which is surely to be viewed as a ringing endorsement by one of the NBA's most respected coaches.
“I love him," Rivers said in regards to LaMelo Ball's game. "I had a man-crush on Luka [Doncic] last year -- or maybe his rookie year -- I’m moving that over now. [LaMelo]'s gonna be terrific. It seems like he has a knack for the ball when he’s on defense, rebounding wise. And his vision is incredible. Charlotte has a good one.”
Ball has yet to crack Charlotte's starting lineup, but it might only be a matter of time before he does. Through seven games off the bench this season, Ball has averaged 11 points-per-game, along with 4.9 assists-per-game. Meanwhile, on defense, the Hornets rookie has picked up 13 steals and collects 4.7 rebounds-per-game.
Is he on the same level of stardom as Rivers' now-former man-crush, Luke Doncic? Not quite -- but Ball clearly has the potential to be one of the league's best young guards in the future. As this season progresses, he will only get better.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
