Brandon Miller Calls Out What People Get Wrong About LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball is playing some of the best basketball of his young NBA career, although the stat sheet may say otherwise. He may not be scoring the ball as much as he has in years past, but he also doesn't need to anymore with a healthy Brandon Miller and the additions of Kon Knueppel and Coby White to the roster.

His work on the other end of the floor, though, is going largely unnoticed. He's not the liability he used to be and is playing impactful defense every night. Is it all-league level defense? No, but it's night and day from what we're accustomed to seeing. His buying into playing with max effort on defense and taking pride in guarding his man has really helped this team take a huge step as a unit, becoming one of the top defensive teams over the last two or so months.

Following their win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, Brandon Miller made sure to point out his defensive improvement.

🎙️ Brandon Miller on LaMelo Ball: "That's our leader."

"Him on the defensive side, nobody really talks about. Everybody always looks at the one-leg threes, the flashy moves and lobs. One thing that separates him this season is the defensive effort and the competitor that he is." pic.twitter.com/G2gkdFBCf4
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 22, 2026

“That’s our leader. Head of the snake," Miller said of Ball. "We’re going to be behind him, so whatever shot he takes is always going to be good for us. We’re confident in it. And just him on the defensive side, no one really talks about it. I think everybody looks at the one-legged threes, the flashy moves, the flashy lobs, but I think the one thing that separates him this season is the defensive effort and the competitor that he is. Just stepping up in tough games and guarding the best players, and trying not to foul. Him being open-minded is great for us.”

He's constantly looking for ways to jump passing lanes, poke the ball away, and close out hard on shooters when the ball is swinging, and the defense is a tad late to rotate. The care level is where it needs to be, and as Miller mentioned, he's the leader. When your leader is playing that way on both ends of the floor, it's going to be contagious.

If you've noticed, the lazy narrative pushed by the national media that LaMelo isn't a winning player has suddenly vanished. It's amazing what good health and having some help around you can do.

The Hornets will continue their long, seven-game homestand on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings.

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