Charlotte Hornets: Should LaMelo Ball be a starter?

The Charlotte Hornets’ third overall pick LaMelo Ball is dazzling all in his first weeks as an NBA player. But should he be starting for the Hornets?

LaMelo Ball has been doing what we all expected he could do in the NBA, making half a dozen highlight plays each game while struggling with the fundamentals of basketball.

The only fundamental he’s mastered is his passing, the inhuman and unteachable vision that was always going to translate. And that’s why the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the third overall pick in the 2020 Draft.

With Ball’s highlights flooding our screens, feeds and TVs, there have been more and more cries for him to start for the Hornets. What those highlights do not show are the turnovers, miss shots and growing pains on defense.

This wasn’t unexpected. The Hornets knew what they were drafting when they selected LaMelo Ball, a high-risk high-reward prospect.

He struggled to defend in the NBL, but when he was on fire he looked like the best player on the court with game-winning shots and triple-doubles in a professional league that meant more than stats in the NCAA.

This is where the dichotomy is. Some fans only see the LaMelo Ball highlights (which multiple have millions of view) and say he should start. It’s impossible to tell if this is just twitter noise or if it’s people actually saying he should start, so let’s break down what could happen if LaMelo Ball started for the Charlotte Hornets.