NBA Insider Gives LaMelo Ball, Charles Lee Incredible Compliment: 'He is an Artist'

LaMelo Ball isn't having his best year in terms of traditional stats under Charles Lee. His 19.3 points per game are the lowest since his rookie season. His two seasons under Lee have produced his fewest average rebounds per game.

The Charlotte Hornets guard's assists are in the middle of the pack in terms of his career averages, too. Most of the traditional numbers appear to be down. The advanced numbers are not.

Ball's having his best season in offensive rating by a huge margin (7.6 points). He's got the third-best defensive rating of his career, too, and that has translated to the best net rating by 5.1 points. Those numbers don't lie.

This season under Lee, Ball has been able to step back in some ways and improve in others. He doesn't need to score as much, so he's not, but the offense is better.

🎙️ @DaveDuFourNBA: "If I'm gonna compare LaMelo (Ball) to Picasso, I think Charles Lee has done a great job of making sure he's got every color in the palette, his brushes are clean, the canvas is ready for him... the best version of LaMelo. He is an artist with the basketball." pic.twitter.com/2WiM8UNyH0
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 18, 2026

NBA analyst Dave DuFour said that Ball is like an artist on the basketball court, but noted specifically that Lee has given him all the tools to produce a piece of art. The tandem has produced some beautiful things.

"If I'm gonna compare LaMelo to Picasso, I think Charles Lee has done a great job of making sure he's got every color in the palette, his brushes are clean, the canvas is ready for him... That's why we're seeing the best version of LaMelo. He is an artist with the basketball," he said.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts to his three point basket during the second half | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

DuFour said Ball has "cut the fat" in a way he never has before in 2025-26. "I cannot help but place a lot of this on Charles Lee," he said. "It is a difference, and I think it starts with him."

Lee has come under fire plenty for his decisions in two years as a head coach, but the fact of the matter is that the team is having the most success it has had in a long time.

Ball is having his best season by far, even if the averages are down a bit. That's not a coincidence, and the averages being down can be slightly attributed to a minutes restriction. The duo of Ball and Lee is working wonders right now.

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