LaMelo Ball's first impressions have Hornets excited about his potential
Teammates, GM and staff are already falling in love with Charlotte's first-round selection in last month's draft
Although he's mere weeks into making Charlotte his home and hasn't been able to get on the court with all his new teammates yet, one thing is certain about LaMelo Ball.
He's pretty good at making first impressions.
From the moment he arrived in town, Ball has quickly endeared himself to people in his new organization. Devonte' Graham is among those duly impressed with Ball's spirit and demeanor, even comparing the 19-year-old to someone who could typically be found bouncing around the Spectrum Center beaming from ear to ear.
"Man, he's got energy like Willy (Hernangomez)," Graham said on a Zoom call Wednesday when I asked him about the Hornets' first-round draft pick. "Ya'll know Willy and have been around Willy. He brings a lot of energy and LaMelo comes in smiling every day excited. Obviously, he's happy to be here. So I love his energy that he's been bringing.
“He’s been here every day working, so obviously we love people who work. He's a great player. He's the No. 3 draft pick, so he's going to bring that energy to the court. A lot of people say he's fun to play with. We all haven't been on the court together yet, so I haven't been able to play with him on this team or against him. But I feel like it's going to be a good fit for us."
Hornets coach James Borrego sure thinks so. He's pleased with Ball's overall mentality, which he said includes a genuine desire to continually improve.
“If a player is willing to be coached and wants to be great,” Borrego said, “and has the work ethic and the drive to do it, the sky’s the limit for them. And this kid has that ability. And I want all our guys — I don't just want it to just be LaMelo -- I want all our guys to have this drive. We want a culture of guys that fit this and LaMelo fits this to a 'T.' This is a guy that wants to be great. He just doesn't talk about it -- he lives it.
“He has an infectious spirit. This is a young man that is infectious. His spirit, his energy, his desire to be great, his desire to make the most and get the most out of the players around him. So for me it's a joy to have someone in the program that we've added. I'm not going to have to wear this guy out to get in the gym. He wants to be in the gym.”
That's when Borrego recalled a moment that took place while eating -- a steak -- at a restaurant with Ball after they drafted him.
“I'll take you to that night,” Borrego said. “This is where it started. We are having a dinner. I'm not sure why they invited me. I guess they should invite the head coach ... We are having a meal together and we are having some good food. And the kid decides he wants to get in the gym and says, ‘Will you find us a gym?’ Obviously, we figured that out and we got him a gym and he worked out for a couple of hours. He didn’t have to do that. He could have went back to his room and celebrated and looked at his (social media) feeds, his followers and all that good stuff that I guess kids do nowadays. But he wanted to be in the gym, all right? He wanted to be in the gym. And to me, if he continues with that mindset, that spirit, the sky's the limit for him.”
Sure, Ball hasn't actually had the opportunity to play collectively with his new teammates yet. But he did take the court against one of them in a competitive game.
Back in high school, that is. And PJ Washington can still remember the moment, too.
"We definitely won that game," Washington said, reminiscing about that day in 2016 suiting for Findlay Prep. "We played Chino Hills, beat 'em. They were just getting the rebound and just tying to throw it down the court really fast. They played a fast game. LaMelo was a lot smaller. He was hitting shots, but at the end of the day we won that game. So it was definitely fun playing against him and it's definitely fun to have him here now. I'm excited to see what he can do for us. I'm excited to play on this team and I'm excited to help guide him through his rookie year."
Washington believes there are a variety of ways Ball can help the Hornets.
“I think his playmaking ability is extremely remarkable for his age,” Washington said. “He can pass the basketball really well. He can score, he can do a lot of things off the dribble and he's a lot taller than I expected. For him just being that young and being that talented is definitely exciting for our program. I'm excited to have him here and I feel like we got one of the best picks in the draft."
He'll get no argument from Terry Rozier.
“I've been following him for years,” Rozier said. “It's crazy because we reached out to each other years ago before we knew this was even a thing, that he was coming here. It was kind of a mutual respect thing. He’s younger than me so I call him ‘Lil Bro.’ I'm excited, the positon he's in. To go (No.) 3 (in the draft), to come to the Hornets, a great organization, great locker room. So I'm excited for him.
“I think later this week or next week we are going to start to be all out there on the court. So I'll pick his brain a little bit and get to know him personally, personally. But like I said we've been fans of each other and we respect each other.”
Without a doubt, there is a new vibe around the Hornets. Bringing Ball on board, paired with the acquisition of someone else Rozier is quite familiar with -- Gordon Hayward -- has Graham, for one, thinking the Hornets can finally punch a postseason ticket that's become so elusive.
"We want to make the playoffs,” Graham said. “We feel like we can push that in the East, especially with our new pieces (we've) added. It's going to be a fun year. It's going to be hard, but that's what we are here for.”