Recently, the Charlotte Hornets have been on fire, winners of seven straight games after their comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday afternoon. A big reason why the Hornets have been so successful is that LaMelo Ball has been able to stay on the floor for the most part recently, after injuries have played such a big part in his career up to this point.
Recently, former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and NBA champion Iman Shumpert made a bold comparison for Ball's game to another star NBA point guard on FanDuel's “Run It Back” show.
“I don't see the difference in how LaMelo Ball plays and how SGA plays… He's got all the physical gifts that [Shai] has,” said Shumpert, per Run It Back on X, formerly Twitter.
Indeed, both Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander are taller point guards who are lightning quick and can generally get to their spots with ease. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP for the Oklahoma City Thunder, certainly has a lot more physicality to his game than Ball, using his frame to get to his spots and torture opponents from the midrange, drawing plenty of fouls in the process.
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On the other hand, Ball's game is more about finesse, mesmerizing crowds with his flashy passing ability and effortless shooting touch from well beyond the three-point line. While few would agree that Ball is playing at a comparable level to what SGA is providing for the Thunder, there are some similarities between their games when one takes a step back.
Hornets fans are likely more than happy with the way Ball is playing these days, helping out the development of young players like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller and giving Charlotte its first real buzz in quite some time.
The Hornets will look to make it eight straight wins when they next hit the floor on Thursday against the Houston Rockets on the road.