This week, a prominent NBA insider tried to fuel the idea that LaMelo Ball could be a franchise player for the Charlotte Hornets.

After being selected with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball put together two seasons that gave Charlotte reason to believe he could be a future star for the team. He put up rock-solid numbers in his rookie season and was named an All-Star in his second year.

Also read: Where do the Charlotte Hornets land in our latest NBA power rankings?

After years of decline, the Hornets nearly made the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, and Ball’s 20 points and nearly eight assists per game played a key role in that. Since then, however, injuries have limited him to just 58 games over the past two seasons, undermining his potential as a long-term star for the franchise.

Many believe the Hornets have playoff potential if Ball stays healthy. And that makes sense, because his numbers over the last two seasons were even better than in 2021-22. However, ESPN NBA insider Tim McMahon believes his stats are “empty calories” and he doesn’t think LaMelo Ball will ever be a successful player on a competitive team.

LaMelo Ball stats (2023-24): 22 goals, 23.9 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 8.0 attacks per game, 1.8 shots per game, 36% 3 points

Tim McMahon says LaMelo Ball has not shown that winning is a priority

“I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can play winning basketball,” McMahon said during a recent edition of the Hoop Collective podcast. “I don’t know if LaMello Ball can be the franchise player on a contender. Because his game is pretty low-calorie. The guy can fill a game sheet, but his efficiency is crap. His defense is atrocious. And I don’t see a lot of evidence that he makes winning a priority.”

That’s a harsh view from McMahon, especially when Ball hasn’t been able to play as much as he and the team would have liked, and the Hornets aren’t exactly brimming with talent. Hopefully he can stay healthy in 2024-25 and form a dynamic duo with last year’s top pick, Brandon Miller.

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