Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Anthony Edwards and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball were two of the top three picks of the 2020 NBA Draft, so comparisons between them are inevitable. So far, Edwards is winning the battle because he has been in the playoffs, while Ball hasn’t.
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However, Seth Curry, believes that LaMelo Ball could be on the same level as Anthony Edwards if his teammate is given the same opportunity, which Austin Rivers agrees.
“(If you) put the right team around LaMelo, he can be the best player on a great team,” Curry said on the “Off Guard” podcast. “He (Ball) ain’t that far off. It’s health and personnel. You put Rudy Gobert, KAT, and that team around — not the same people, but that type of quality of team around LaMelo…”
“I’m agreeing with you,” Rivers replied. “I’m not saying it’s a LaMelo thing, I’m just saying for whatever reason it’s been, injuries, personnel, we have not seen the jump that Anthony Edwards has. They both came in the same year.”
To his credit, LaMelo Ball won the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year award and was named to the NBA All-Star Team in 2022. Anthony Edwards, on the other hand, was named to the NBA All-Star Team this year and last year.
Charlotte Hornets need to continue to build around LaMelo Ball
Despite having a talent like LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets still haven’t made it back to the playoffs, with the last appearance in 2016.
It doesn’t help the Charlotte Hornets either that LaMelo Ball continues to deal with a nagging ankle injury, which sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign.
Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest but only played 22 games this season.
The Charlotte Hornets, however, seem to have found a gem in rookie forward Brandon Miller to partner with LaMelo Ball in the long run. Miller was named to the 2024 NBA All-Rookie First Team this year, averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.
