Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball has yet to make the playoffs in his four seasons with the team, despite turning heads with some jaw-dropping stats over the years, so can he ever truly become a winner?

One expert has his doubts.

In a new episode of the must-see “The Hoop Collective Podcast,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon opened up about Ball’s limitations and potential in the league.

“I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can play winning basketball,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know if LaMelo Ball can be the franchise player on a winner’s podium because his game is pretty low-calorie. I mean, the guy can fill a playbook, but his efficiency – despite the fact that he shot the threes pretty well – is crap. His defense is atrocious. And I don’t see a lot of evidence that the guy makes winning a priority.”

The 23-year-old had an appetizing start to his NBA career.

After being selected by Charlotte with the third overall pick behind James Wiseman (a choice the Golden State Warriors would certainly consider today), the 6-foot-7 point guard was named Rookie of the Year in a draft that also featured Minnesota Timberwolves All-NBA shooting guard Anthony Edwards as the first pick of the year.

In the following 2021-22 season, Ball was named an All-Star alternate and his numbers rose across the board. That year, the Chino Hills native played in 75 games, the most of his career, averaging 20.1 points (on .429/.389/.872 hitting), 7.6 assists (on a menacing 3.3 turnovers), 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

The Hornets finished the season with a respectable 43-39 record, placing them 10th in the Eastern Conference. In their tournament playoff game, they lost to the Atlanta Hawks 132-103.

Since then, Ball has not had much luck with his health.

Over the last two seasons, Ball has been limited to just 58 total regular season games. When he has played, MacMahon says he has put up great numbers. In the games he has played, he has averaged 23.5 points on .419/.369/.850 shooting, 8.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per night.

In the last two seasons, Ball’s career was ended by injuries to his right ankle.

Whether ball actually Is As a franchise player, he will certainly be paid like one. Next year, Ball will be entering the first season of what is now a questionable five-year, $203.9 million rookies contract extension. Will Charlotte regret this move in the long run?

With Ball out of action for most of the 2023-24 season, the team finished with a poor 21-61 record. That streak earned Charlotte the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which the Hornets used to acquire French power forward Tidjane Salaün. It remains to be seen if his signing, the improvement of 2024 All-Rookie First Team forward Brandon Miller, and a potentially healthier streak from Ball will help Charlotte pick up a few more wins in the 2024-25 season.

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