The ping pong balls didn’t fall the way of the Charlotte Hornets during the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, as they ended up with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. But, Lady Luck was on their side come draft night, as they had LaMelo Ball fall into their laps with that selection.
It is hard to imagine the Minnesota Timberwolves are disappointed with their selection, as they picked Anthony Edwards first overall. The Golden State Warriors went with James Wiseman at No. 2, which has yet to pay dividends. That left Ball on the board for the Hornets, who didn’t hesitate to take him.
Ball has quickly ascended in the point guard rankings. He is one of the best young players in the NBA at the position, winning the Rookie of the Year Award and following it up with his first All-Star nomination this season.
LaMelo Ball is a star in the making, which the Charlotte Hornets desperately needed after Kemba Walker departed in free agency a few years ago, signing with the Boston Celtics. He averaged 20.1 points per game this season to go along with 7.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Still only 20-years old, he is only scratching the surface of his potential.
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Some people believe he will continue ascending the rankings in the league. Skip Bayless believes that Ball could become the face of the NBA, but with one caveat; it won’t come in Charlotte.
This is a trend that the league has tried everything it could to keep from happening. Small market teams still seem to be at a huge disadvantage when it comes to retaining stars long-term. They can have all the success in the world drafting, but after a while, they want to leave and team up with someone elsewhere.
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The New Orleans Pelicans have gone through this twice with Chris Paul and Anthony Davis. It looks like they’ll be dealing with it for a third time with Zion Williamson. The Orlando Magic had it happen with Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard.
But, if there is a place for the Hornets and their fans to look to for optimism, it is the Milwaukee Bucks. Many people speculated that Giannis Antetokounmpo would want to leave for a bigger market, but he was determined to win there. Winning is what most players are looking to achieve, so they will not leave if they feel their current situation can develop into a contender.
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The next two offseasons will be very important for the Charlotte Hornets, as it will be their chance to sell LaMelo Ball on them becoming a contending franchise. They have taken steps in the right direction since he joined the franchise and they will have to continue to do so to ensure that Charlotte is where Ball wants to be for the duration of his career.
