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NBA Week 12 Power Rankings: Questions for each team after the break

By Corey Rausch

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center on January 05, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Jazz 130-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center on January 05, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Jazz 130-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

19-18. Previous: 15th. Charlotte Hornets. 12. team. 170.

Last Week: Beat Detroit Pistons 105-102, Beat Toronto Raptors 114-104

This Week: 3/15 vs. Sacramento Kings, 3/17 at Denver Nuggets, 3/18 at Los Angeles Lakers, 3/20 at LA Clippers

Question: How large will the gap be for Rookie of the Year voting at the end of the season?

This season has always felt like playing with house money for the Charlotte Hornets. This might be an odd thought process given that they are effectively paying $39 million per season for the newly-added Gordon Hayward ($30 million for his salary and $9 million for the waiver of Nicolas Batum to add him) but sometimes there is more to a season than winning.

Given that the Hornets were never contending for more than making the postseason, this season the focus was always going to be on LaMelo Ball. He has changed the entire makeup of the future of the franchise. It is not hyperbolic to say that he is likely only the second real hit in the draft for the Hornets since 2005. The race for Rookie of the Year is all but over. The only question how far the gap ends up between him and second place.

It has been a fun stat all season about all the statistical categories Ball leads all rookies in so here is the current list: points (15.8), assists (6.4), rebounds (6.1) and steals (1.6) per game. He is also the leader in wins for any rookie who plays more than 18 minutes per game. He is figuring out defense and his 3-point shot is not the worry it was projected to be (38.7 percent on 5.4 attempts per game). No rookie from the 2020 class has taken over a franchise quite like LaMelo Ball.