LaMelo Ball is the Charlotte Hornets’ identity. Every possession, every offensive rhythm, every flicker of excitement runs through him. When he’s on the floor, the Hornets are a blur of motion and creativity; when he’s out, everything slows to a crawl. The numbers only confirm what the eye test screams — Ball is both Charlotte’s greatest weapon and its biggest variable.
When Ball plays, the Hornets look like a real NBA offense. The team posted an offensive rating of 110.6 with Ball orchestrating, per StatMuse. Without him, that number nosedives. The difference isn’t subtle: Charlotte averaged 108.