Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball shakes Top 5 when it’s almost back

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LaMelo Ball is almost back on the ground as he recovers his right wrist injury.

He’s baaaack.

OK, not back-back, as in the back-back in the Charlotte Hornets lineup, who re-triggered their offense with his great court vision and riding what would have been a big lead in Rookie of the Year consideration in the rest of the Class of 2020.

But LaMelo Ball is back in the Hornets update pipeline, playing here again on the Kia Rookie Ladder. It won’t be long before he deals with ROY rivals again, with his nightly gigs, like Larry Bird used to treat other Three-Point Shootout contestants (“So, who comes second?”).

Charlotte released a surprise report Monday – or at least earlier than expected – that Ball had been cleared for individual basketball activities. The cast on his right wrist that he had broken on March 20 was disabled and a CT scan confirmed that the surgery and the inserted pin had done their job. A timeline of 7 to 10 days could have it back by the end of the month. That would leave 10 games for Ball to help the Hornets push for a playoff or at least hit a berth and reassert themselves in the ROY race.

First things first: is this somehow reckless? The Hornets are convinced that this is not the case. GM Mitch Kupchak has passed on information from their medical experts from the start that once Ball’s bone was healed, he should just regain control of flexibility.

And coach James Borrego said on Tuesday: “Nothing is written in stone. … Hopefully we’ll see significant [improvement] flexibility from day to day. The number 1 is that it doesn’t sound like he could injure this thing further. “

So now we can shift our focus to the ladder. Ball was parked at number 6 since the injury, a compromise that recognized his great first three months, while other rookies could rise or fall as the season was over. (Golden State’s James Wiseman received the same treatment in his absence until he underwent seasonal surgery on his right knee last week after appearing in just 39 games. Orlando’s Cole Anthony slipped completely off the ladder after missing 25 games in the middle. of the Magic scheme. But he’s back now.)

As for Ball’s ROY dignity, the problem came down to the games played. Would 41 out of 72 be enough to earn the award? No player has ever won one of the NBA’s individual awards with such a low participation rate (57%). Patrick Ewing played 50 out of 82 games (61%) when he was named ROY in 1985 – that’s the lowest ever.

Some potential voters, as noted in last week’s Ladder, told the Charlotte observer they still tended to have ball # 1 on their ballots. For those of us who felt that rookies who played all or most of the season deserved more attention, Ball’s imminent return could sway the votes in his direction.

And his first 41 games were so impressive that even some rusty performances wouldn’t bring down his stats or change the eye test ratings. To be determined in the last few weeks: Will Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jae’Sean Tate or any other newbie have done enough to catch and outstrip Ball, who will soon no longer be a stationary target.

The Top 5 this week on the 2020-21 Kia Rookie Ladder:

(All statistics up to and including Monday April 19)

1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Season statistics: 18.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg
Since last ladder: 21.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
The rung of the last ladder: 1

Edwards recently received resounding approval from Clippers star Paul George: “He’s a great talent. Strong boy. Explosive kid, ” George said after he and the Timberwolves rookie each scored 23 points in LA’s defeat to Minnesota Sunday. ‘He has a powerful game. He can do a little bit of everything, shoot the three ball, get rid of pin-downs, play the pick-and-roll and he ends up strong at the basket. You’re talking about three tier scorer … He’s elite. I see star, All-Star, possibly superstar. The sky is the limit for the child. “

2. Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets

Season statistics: 11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
Since last ladder: 14.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.8 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 3

There is often a what-have-you-done-for-us-lately element to the Ladder, and Tate is a good example of that. The Houston Rockets ‘dying season has opened up opportunities in coach Stephen Silas’ lineup, and Tate took advantage of this by playing a minor forward and even working as a point guard when John Wall missed a game. The undesigned 25-year-old has adapted how he played, but not how hard. “I have an average nosebleed per week,” Tate said after Houston beat Orlando. “That’s what sometimes happens when you play hard.”

3. Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons

Season statistics: 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 apg
Since last ladder: 14.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 4

Our Monday stoppage of statistics enabled Bey, who had missed 14 of his previous 16 tries by three points, to scam the Cavaliers on Monday for 6 of 11 from the arc on his way to 20 points. Bey’s overall 41.2% field goal percentage is affected by taking 68% of his shots from a 3-point range. But the Pistons think Bey is developing his shot creation to become much more than a 3D man. Coach Dwane Casey believes Villanova’s No. 19 pick should be in the ROY “conversation” and right now he is.

4. Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings

Season statistics: 12.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
Since last ladder: 7.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 3.0 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 2

Haliburton is an interesting case given Ball’s absence from injury. If the Kings rookie were hurt and sidelined this month, would he be better off as a ROY candidate rather than just fading? He was named the best rookie in the Western Conference for the first two months, but his April splits are bad. He averages 9.4 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 38.5%, although his assists (5.8) and turnover (1.2) are still strong. Sacramento’s 1-9 this month means that Haliburton, like all of his teammates, has no influence on winning these days either.

5. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

Season statistics: 15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.1 apg
Since last ladder: DNP
Rung of the last ladder: 6

Ball kept it simple in his Zoom call to reporters Tuesday. I haven’t talked at length about what he learned to look from the side during his discharge or about concerns he has about coming back. “I’ve pretty much already started,” said Ball of the rehab work to restore flexibility in his right hand and wrist. “I had a treatment this morning, trying to bend it down, bend it up, everything like that.” No one asked him to demonstrate in front of the camera, but 19-year-olds’ rapid healing ability is a plus for him and the Hornets.

The following five:

6. Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 9.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg
Since last ladder: 9.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 5

Returns to starting lineup for injured Dillon Brooks.

7. Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons

Season statistics: 7.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 apg
Since last ladder: 16.0 ppg, 14.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 9

Surpassing as a No. 16 pick and as a 6-foot-8 center.

8. James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors

Season statistics: 11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.7 apg
Since last ladder: DNP
Rung of the last ladder: 7

End-of-season knee surgery freezes at 39 games year-round.

9. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks

Season statistics: 11.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
Since last ladder: 6.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Rung of the last ladder: 8

In April, 43.2% was shot on 3FGAs, but 32.4% on 2FGAs.

T10. Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic

Season statistics: 11.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg
Since last ladder: 15.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.3 apg
The rung of the last ladder: n / a

Shooting is rusty, but it contributes again after 25 games of absence.

T10. Xavier Tillman Sr., Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
Since last ladder: 13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
The rung of the last ladder: n / a

Average 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 57.8% shoot in Grizzlies’ wins.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can email him here, find his archive here and back follow him on Twitter.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

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