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Jay Williams: 'LaMelo Ball Might End Up Becoming the Face of the League'

The Hornets young star is becoming a favorite of many basketball analysts including Jay Williams.
Schuyler Callihan|
Jay Williams: 'LaMelo Ball Might End Up Becoming the Face of the League'
Jay Williams: 'LaMelo Ball Might End Up Becoming the Face of the League'

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is starting to gain a lot of national attention after getting off to a hot start just a few months removed from being named the NBA's 2020-21 Rookie of the Year.

When the Hornets selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the scouting report showed that he was a deadly accurate passer and finished well around the rim, but had question marks surrounding his three-point shooting and defensive ability. Since the moment he first put on his Hornets jersey, all Ball has done is prove his doubters wrong. In 56 career games, Ball is averaging 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 44% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. 

Some of the plays he makes on a regular basis just make you shake your head in awe. He does things on a basketball court that most veterans can't do, let alone do at the age of 20. The Hornets are off to a 4-1 start this season having already defeated the Indiana Pacers and NBA title favorite, Brooklyn. The more win the Hornets rack up, the more attention LaMelo Ball receives.

On Wednesday morning's edition of First Take on ESPN, Jay Williams and Stephen A. Smith debated who they would rather have; LaMelo Ball or Ja Morant. For Jay Williams, it was a no-brainer.

"He's [Ja Morant] 6'1", 6'2" right? LaMelo is 6'7" and he's not even grown into his body yet. LaMelo Ball might end up becoming the face of the league. LaMelo has been built into this distribution network from his brother, the show, and everything. We knew everything about LaMelo from an early age. If it's him pulling up to a game in a green jacket and a green Lamborghini, hate it or you like but it's polarizing. But his on-the-court play speaks volumes because he gets everybody involved, so it's a combination of both. Where I think Ja is way more understated, an absolute killer, but what LaMelo grow into, I think he has a higher ceiling."

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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