They say you always remember your first one, but this is one night LaMelo Ball will probably try to forget.
Ball, the 19-year-old who was chosen third-choice in the 2020 draft, was held winless on Wednesday night in his NBA debut. He went 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 on three-point tries in 16 minutes from the bench. Ball also had three turnovers with three assists, two steals and one rebound when the Cavaliers won 121-114.
Two of Ball’s turnovers and one of his steals came in the same order, summing up the rookie’s night well in one piece.
In worse news for Charlotte, center Cody Zeller left the match in the third quarter with a broken left hand. It is unclear how long he will be gone.
Hornets guard Terry Rozier led all the goalscorers with 42 points on 15-for-23 shooting, including a scorching 10-for-16 on three-point tries. Cavaliers third-year guard Collin Sexton led Cleveland 9-for-16 from the field with 27 runs.
LaMelo’s long-awaited debut shows similarities to that of his older brother. Lonzo Ball, taken with the Lakers’ No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft, scored three points in 29 minutes in his NBA debut and shot 1-for-6 from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds with four assists, one steal and two turnovers.
Things improved dramatically for Lonzo in his second timeout, as he scored 29 points with 11 rebounds and nine assists in a win against the Suns. LaMelo will get another chance when the Hornets face the Thunder at home on Saturday.