LaMelo Ball delivered his best NBA game on Saturday, scoring 27 career points, along with nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 126-114 upset victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The numbers are one thing – Ball has proven early in his career that he is capable of making a triple-double every night – but the way Ball dominated the paint in the clutch also showed a tempting ceiling as a scorer to his ability to play.
Ball was aggressive from the start, but in a different way than we are used to. Normally Ball uses his alien vision and passes to get others involved, and operates more like a passer-by and spot-up shooter in the half lane. On Saturday, however, Ball made it his mission to get to the edge, showing that he could make mistakes as well as make mistakes. He was 6-for-7 from the 2-point range, and knocked down all of his career-high nine free throw attempts. For example, instead of settling for a controversial pull-up 3-pointer when faced with a mismatch against Brook Lopez, he took the slow-footed center to the edge and ended up with a nice left-handed finger roll.
More importantly, Ball held on to that same energy and game plan, all the while attacking the Bucks defense, just as it looked like Milwaukee was starting to retreat. Ball got back into the game with his team trailing 111-110 about the middle of the fourth quarter and led to a 16-3 run to end the game. Ball scored seven of the 16 points, including five free throws, and picked up two key steal on the trajectory. He even pulled out some James Harden chicanery by stretching out his arms to draw a flaw in the paint.
Ball also made a crucial and one lay-up to give the Hornets all the momentum they needed to finish the game. We’ve seen Ball’s finesse play around the edge, but this one was especially encouraging as he advanced strongly and ended by contact against Khris Middleton.
Ball averages just one point per possession around the basket, which is in the 25th percentile according to Synergy Sports Technology, and he entered an average of just two free-throw attempts per game on Saturday night. If he’s able to maintain the aggressiveness he showed against the Bucks, it will only open lanes for his groundbreaking passes. Example: After the and-one, Ball used quick hands to pick up a bargain, pulled two defenders into the lane and found Devonte ‘Graham in front of a wide open three-hand dagger.
Just 19 years old with a light 180-pound frame, no one expects Ball to plow every possession to the edge. But the offensive mindset – getting on the court to score, not just passing – could be instrumental to Ball’s ultimate success. It’s just one game, but if LaMelo is able to consistently hit the track and finish around the edge, his potential as an NBA point guard will go through the roof.