The praise for LaMelo Ball and his game has hit a new level as ESPN ranked the Hornets’ rookie guard third on best NBA Players under 25 years old based on future potential. Ball only trailed Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson
Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, Donovan Mitchell, DeAaron Fox, and Ben Simmons rounded out the list while Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Mike Schmitz were the voters.
Granted, Ball’s small sample size is a bit of an overreaction. However, this list is all about potential and NBA talk is very ‘prisoner’ of the moment. So, this ranking shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
While this accolade is great for Ball, the Rookie Of The Year, is the goal. With Ball missing time due to a broken hand, what’s worth monitoring is will Ball’s body of work up to that point be enough for the award? There’s six weeks to find out.