Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball has shown his potential to be one of the best point guards in the NBA as long as he is healthy.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown he can stay off the sidelines on a consistent basis. Over the past two seasons, Ball has missed more games than he’s played, which is certainly a significant problem for a franchise looking to climb out of last place in the Eastern Conference.

However, the longer rest period should help him recover sufficiently in time for the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

Ball definitely has a lot to prove in the coming years – and apparently not just in terms of health.

ESPN writer Tim MacMahon made a scathing comment about the young man during a recent appearance on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective. He and fellow media colleagues Windhorst and Tim Bontemps were working on a rewrite of the 2020 draft. When they got to the No. 3 pick, they naturally had to analyze whether Charlotte was right.

MacMahon seems to believe the Hornets could have done better and doubts Ball can play winning basketball despite his high potential. He also described the 2021 Rookie of the Year as playing “empty calories.”

His reasons? The Californian native’s efficiency was “garbage” and his defense “terrible.”

Maybe it’s easy to think of Ball as an inefficient player because of his 42.7% field goal percentage and his average turnovers of 3.3 per game.

In Ball’s defense, the Hornets haven’t exactly given him a roster that can take full advantage of his plays. That could change next season, though, with a talented core of himself, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams.

The rising superstar also deserves credit for participating in an All-Star game at age 21. He also not only made a token appearance in the 2022 midseason showcase edition, but established himself among the NBA’s best with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in 22 minutes.

Another reason MacMahon was wrong in his analysis of Ball is that the Hornets are actually better when he’s in action. His on/off stats show that the team is more efficient with him on the court and is expected to win more games when he plays.

It’s easy to criticize Ball, however, as Charlotte’s on-court performance hasn’t looked great over the past four seasons. However, things are looking up for the playmaker and the team with new management in place.