Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert raised some eyebrows recently when he compared LaMelo Ball to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But if you listen to what he said about Ball in his recent appearance on SportsCenter, his supposedly wild take about the Charlotte Hornets star actually makes sense.
What many may have heard Shumpert say on Run It Back is that as long as Ball and the Hornets can maintain a high level of discipline, "I don't see the difference in how LaMelo Ball plays and how SGA plays." The retired swingman also noted how Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander have similar physical gifts.
However, he elaborated on the comparison more clearly on SportsCenter, stating how he sees "hints of SGA" when watching Ball. He also said, "Now, I'm not comparing them completely. But what I see is a team starting to corral behind somebody who's a decision-maker, somebody who's a willing passer, somebody who is willing to take the chances and taking the shot at the end."
A clear trajectory for LaMelo Ball and the Hornets
So, it seems Ball merely reminds Shumpert of Gilgeous-Alexander, and, personally, I can agree with that. Their talent levels are quite far apart, just to be clear. And Ball may never be in the same tier as Gilgeous-Alexander, especially in baiting fouls, although there's an argument that he has the potential to join the ranks of the NBA's elite if he can reach his ceiling.
As Shumpert mentioned, there was a time when Gilgeous-Alexander flew under the radar. While a lot of people recognized how good a player he was, it was only when the supporting cast around him leveled up, and the Oklahoma City Thunder experienced success, that the league finally labeled him as one of its greatest players.
The thing is, the Hornets organization and its fans are probably fine with Ball not becoming a perennial MVP contender. After all, the squad also has two potential top-tier stars in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. What Melo has to do is leverage his playmaking prowess to elevate his teammates' games. Keep in mind that they could add one or two more core pieces this summer through the draft, free agency, or the trade market. As such, his facilitating skills will even be more important than ever.
Interestingly, the Thunder have also provided Charlotte with a blueprint for a leap to the top of the league. It was only three seasons ago when they were still a sub-.500 team but showed enough promise to escape the cellar of the Western Conference. The Hornets are in a similar boat at the moment and have an opportunity to soon make some noise with a healthy Ball at the helm.