NBA scout on LaMelo Ball: ‘He doesn’t take basketball seriously enough’

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is clearly one of the more talented players at his position in the NBA today. At 6-foot-7, he possesses an exceptional handle, fantastic playmaking vision and seemingly has limitless range on his outside shot.

Though Ball’s skill set is evident and unquestionable, his desire to be great has been called into question throughout his pro career. ESPN recently relayed some quotes from NBA sources, and one scout claimed that Ball doesn’t know “who he is” yet.

“He still doesn’t know who he is,” the scout said. “But I think you can justify buying into the talent.”

Another scout boldly claimed Ball “doesn’t take basketball seriously enough” and that it’s difficult to build a good team around the youngster because of “how he plays.”

“Yes, he’s talented, but he doesn’t take basketball seriously enough,” the second scout said. “It’s hard to build a winner with him because of how he plays, and the liberties he takes for himself when he plays.

“Would someone take a flier on him? For sure. But Charlotte isn’t taking a flier price for him.”

His approach to the game seems to be a real concern for some, but one executive still thinks that if all of Ja Morant, Trae Young and Ball were suddenly on the trade block, the Hornets guard would have the best market.

“If you’re asking me if Trae, Ja and LaMelo all came onto the trade market tomorrow, I think LaMelo would have the best market,” the executive said. “But that’s all hypothetical right now.”

Ball has proven he can put up gaudy numbers but has yet to give Hornets fans any reason to believe he can be the head of the snake on a successful team. He’s in his sixth season in the NBA now, and the Hornets haven’t made the playoffs once with him in the fold.

Charlotte has played in the play-in tournament twice during the Ball era, but it hasn’t tasted an actual playoff series.

Injuries have hampered him throughout his time in the NBA as well, as he’s been the opposite of reliable for the Hornets. He’s logged just 237 regular-season games at this stage of his pro career, and he hasn’t suited up in more than 47 games in any campaign since the 2021-22 season, when he appeared in 75.

The injury bug has already caught up to him this season, as he’s sat out the last two games for Charlotte with an ankle issue.

Maybe it would be in the best interest of the Hornets to move on from Ball at this point. If they do trade him before the deadline or at some point in the future, perhaps he will thrive in the next act of his pro stint. For now, however, he remains the face of the franchise in Charlotte.