LaMelo Ball to Return to All-Star Level Says Kendrick Perkins, Poses Question About His Leadership

LaMelo Ball is among the most flashy players in the league and is revered for his playstyle. However, questions persist about his fitness and leadership skills. He has missed 106 of the Hornets’ 164 regular season games over the past two years, prompting doubts about whether he can be the lynchpin the franchise needs to have a successful future. Not many are backing him, but Kendrick Perkins still has faith. 

On NBA Today, host Malika Andrews asked the analyst if he believes the guard could rekindle the form that earned him an All-Star nod in 2022. The former Celtics star backed the young star and claimed he could help the Hornets push for a playoff spot in the upcoming campaign. Perkins said,

“Yeah, absolutely. Look he fills up the stat sheet… He’s one of the most exciting players in the league. Can he take that leap as a leader and at least get this Charlotte team into the Play-in tournament? I believe he can.”

Perkins alluded to Ball’s stats as the reason why he’s backing him. The guard has tallied 20 points, 7.4 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in 184 outings in his NBA career. However, these numbers haven’t translated into success for the Hornets.

They haven’t made it to the playoffs since drafting Ball in 2020. They did finish tenth in the Eastern Conference in the 2021-22 season and qualified for the play-in tournament. However, they couldn’t make it past the first hurdle, as the Hawks beat them and ended their campaign.

Despite the Hornets’ lack of success with Ball on the roster, Perkins is backing him to help flip the franchise’s fortunes. However, he’s in the minority.

NBA insider doesn’t believe Ball is good enough to be the Hornets’ leader

On an episode of the Hoops Collective podcast, ESPN writer Tim MacMahon downplayed the prospect of the guard being the Hornets’ savior. Explaining why he had little faith in the young star being the franchise’s lynchpin, he said,

“I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can be the franchise player on a winner because he has got a pretty empty calories game, right? I mean, the man can fill up a boxscore but… his efficiency is garbage. His defense is horrific and I don’t see a lot of evidence that the guy considers winning to be a priority.”

While MacMahon doesn’t believe the guard can pull the Hornets out of their slump, the franchise does. Despite his injury record, they handed him a five-year, $203 million contract extension last summer, showcasing they have faith in his ability as a player and a leader. 

Whether he comes through and helps the franchise end its eight-year wait for a playoff appearance remains to be seen.