Smashing the 'LaMelo Ball doesn't play winning basketball' narrative

The media has always had their thoughts and opinions on the Charlotte Hornets' star LaMelo Ball. Those feelings that the media have had towards Ball have never been fully positive. Although the media acknowledges him for being a talented basketball player, most of them typically mention Ball as not being a contributor to winning.

Now, most of that is misconstrued, simply because the Hornets' record over the last couple of seasons has been abysmal, to say the least. As well, it hasn't helped that Ball has battled his fair share of injuries during that time as well.

However, it hasn't just been the 23-year-old who has experienced those injury issues as most of the team has battled through injuries alongside Ball. With all that in mind, the media has spoken negatively about Ball for quite some time now, as far as evaluating his impact on winning.

Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) celebrates after a basket during the third quarter Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

So is it true? Absolutely not.

I understand why some people would see it that way, but those folks typically aren't watching the Hornets very closely and know the situation he's in. The lack of talent and depth the Hornets roster has had over the years has been glaring, which has been seen even more so because of the abundance of injuries.

Ball is a fantastic player, but being tasked to lead the team to wins when half of the team was playing for the Greensboro Swarm or not in the league is nearly impossible.

However, there are a couple of statistics that prove Ball is a winning player. The first of those is the on/off-court rating. Ball has a plus 9.2 rating when on the court versus off the court. That number is the highest of his career.

Ball's playmaking and pace make a huge difference on the floor for many reasons. For one, it opens up offensive opportunities for his teammates due to that pace and how much attention Ball has to the opposing teams' defenses. As well, his shotmaking ability is so unique and incredible, which makes the Hornets' offense much better.

Feb 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When Ball isn't on the court, it's pretty obvious that the Hornets offense has struggled to put together effective and positive possessions. His on/off-court rating also proves that his defense isn't as bad as some people make it out to be, as it would be much closer to the negatives if his defense was a major issue.

Another statistic that sides with Ball's positive impact on winning is the Hornets' record when Ball plays versus when he doesn't play. When Ball plays, the Hornets usually have a pretty decent chance of winning. In fact, in the last 10 games where LaMelo Ball played a full game, the Hornets have a 7-3 record.

However, on the other side, when Ball doesn't play a full game, the Hornets have an atrocious record of 1-21. It's no coincidence that the Hornets play better when their star player is on the floor, but that differential is among the worst in the league. Ball has been a part of 13 of the Hornets' 14 wins.

The media tends to focus on one aspect of things when analyzing a player and that should never be the case. People tend to forget that LaMelo Ball led the Hornets to the play-in tournament in his first two years with the team. With more wins forthcoming, the media will start to realize the impact LaMelo Ball truly has on winning basketball.

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