The Charlotte Hornets pulled off a drastic move on Wednesday by agreeing to send LaMelo Ball over to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a haul of draft picks. Although the move comes as a shock to many, NBA insider Zach Lowe had a clear understanding of the Hornets’ plans.
In many ways, this trade should not come as a shock. From the surge in trade rumors last year to the growing dissatisfaction with his playing style, LaMelo Ball had fallen out of favor with Charlotte. However, when discussing the trade on “The Zach Lowe Show,” Lowe pointed out a key factor that may have convinced the Hornets to finalize the deal.
“I think it comes down to a physical toughness question that they [the Hornets] have about LaMelo Ball,” Lowe claimed.
“You watch these playoff series, Oklahoma City-San Antonio, San Antonio-New York, and you just envision, like, ‘This is a dude- a front runner is too strong a term, fast and loose. When the game’s fun, that’s when he’s at his best.’ What are you gonna do in Game 5 of a playoff series when Stephon Castle has been in your jersey for five straight games? When you’re switching between Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso, bumping you, physically just manhandling you up and down the court? Are you actually game for that?”
Lowe’s observation is intriguing, to say the least. This year’s playoffs featured some spectacular displays by the players. However, the physicality of the defense was particularly noteworthy, especially in the West, where teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder routinely played aggressive defense for 48 minutes.
As individually gifted as LaMelo Ball is, with his size, skill, and athleticism, he isn’t the most physically durable player. Given how injury-prone he has been since entering the league, Charlotte’s concerns seem justified, especially as they aim to become a playoff contender next season.
On that note, Lowe continued:
“Because if you’re gonna be a serious team, that’s what you’ve got to be game for. And I think this trade says, ‘Yes, there are these ancillary salary and pick benefits and faith in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel and all that. [But] The Hornets know the numbers.'”
“They know their offense wasn’t good when LaMelo was on the bench. They know all of that stuff, and they decided anyway, ‘We just don’t think we can win the biggest games with this guy on our team.’ I think that’s really what it boils down to.”
Lowe’s rationalization of the Hornets’ decision makes sense for the most part, but there is still some room to debate that it may have been hasty on Charlotte’s behalf.
Despite being an inconsistent asset, LaMelo Ball was arguably among Charlotte’s best players last season. In 72 appearances, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range.
According to StatMuse, the Hornets boasted an offensive rating of 120.1 when LaMelo Ball suited up for them this season. Without him, their rating fell to 115.4, highlighting how much less productive they became when he wasn’t on the court.
The Hornets’ core of Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel is promising, but they must reinforce the point guard position if they wish to remain competitive. While this could foreshadow Charlotte’s intentions to re-sign Coby White, it could also hint at more significant moves this summer.
