Is the jury still out on Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball? An ESPN reporter believes what you see is what you get from the 22-year-old point-first star entering his fifth NBA season. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon was a guest on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective Show, where he gave his hard, honest opinion about Ball’s shortcomings as the Hornets’ rising star.

“I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can play winning basketball. I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can be the franchise player that’s betting on a win because his game is pretty low-calorie, right? I mean, the guy can fill a box score, but his efficiency is crap, even though he’s shot the threes pretty well,” MacMahon said. “His defense is atrocious and I don’t see a lot of evidence that the guy considers winning a priority.”

While one analyst views the Hornets as a surprise contender in the Eastern Conference for the 2024-25 season, ESPN’s MacMahon doesn’t think the Hornets are one of the league’s “hidden gems” that people are overlooking. Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in January, Ball averaged 23.9 points, 8.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game – a career high. He was on pace to have the best season of his young career before a right ankle injury derailed his season.

After missing seven weeks with an ankle sprain in September, LaMelo injured the same ankle a second time six months later. Ball, who hasn’t had a healthy season since 2021-22, his only All-Star season, missed 36 games the following year but will look to continue his growth as one of the pillars of the Hornets franchise.

Miles Bridges wishes LaMelo Ball a happy birthday on social media

LaMelo Ball turned 23 this week and received a special birthday greeting on social media from his Hornets teammate Miles Bridges. Bridges posted a photo of himself and Ball to his 24-hour story on Instagram with the caption, “Happy birthday bro, I love you guys,” according to Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated.

Bridges played alongside Ball for LaMelo’s entire four-year career and is considered a close friend of Ball’s and one of the pillars of the Hornets franchise. Bridges signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension with the Hornets in July. With a 21-61 record that puts them second to last in the Eastern Conference behind the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte will be looking to make the playoffs in 2025.

The Hornets have not reached the NBA postseason since former All-Star Kemba Walker became the team’s rising star in 2016.