Hoopers of the Week: 11/08/21-11/14/21
Over the course of a single off-season, the talent level of the young guys in the NBA has skyrocketed. When looking across the league, one could argue that every team has at least one budding star on the verge of a potential breakout season. But of course, “breaking out” can mean different things depending on the players.
There are rookies looking to make an impact from Day 1 and carve out a role for themselves in the league. Some guys are trying to build off of their rookie/sophomore campaigns. Some are playing for a potential contract or max extension. Then there are those who are trying to take that leap from star-level prospect to becoming a legit NBA All-Star.
On this week’s edition of the Hoopers of the Week, we have two young up-and-coming guards who are both making strong early-season cases to be first-time All-Stars: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
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LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Easily one of the most exciting young players in the NBA, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has set a pretty high bar for himself after only one season.
He is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. He has his own signature shoe as a member of the ever-growing NBA roster for Puma. Not to mention he is filling the shoes of former All-Star Charlotte guard Kemba Walker who was the only person keeping the Hornets relevant for the eight seasons he was there. Lastly and most importantly, he is overseen daily by arguably the best player in NBA history: Charlotte Hornets owner and NBA Legend Michael Jordan.
Sounds like a lot for a 20-year-old in only his second season as an NBA pro doesn’t it? Well, when it comes to Ball, it seems no lights are too bright for him.
Through 14 games this season, Ball is already making a case to be a first-time All-Star and continues to show why some proclaimed him to be the best of the three Ball Brothers. This week, LaMelo Ball put on a show as he led his team to a 2-1 record and was the catalyst to some big performances by a few of his teammates.
Let’s start with Monday’s game to kick off the week as the Hornets took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were playing without their lead man in LeBron James (out due to abdominal injury), but that did not stop them from securing the 126-123 overtime victory. This came on the back of the original “Melo”, Carmelo Anthony who had 29 points in 36 minutes off the bench including a dagger three in the final minutes of overtime. All-Star forward Anthony Davis also came in clutch with a stat line of 32 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and five blocks.
In the midst of monster performances from Anthony and Davis, LaMelo Ball was putting on a show of his own. Recording only his second triple-double of his young career, Ball posted a stat line of 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. The rest of the team surely helped in keeping the game close as Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 29 points. Also, the forward combination of Gordon Hayward and potential Most Improved Player frontrunner Miles Bridges went for 40 total points. In a tough, hard-fought game that had 24 lead changes, the game simply came down to the Lakers’ late-game experience and the overall play of their role players.
Next up was a battle between our two Hoopers of the Week as the Hornets took on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. This time, Charlotte came out with the victory as they won the game 118-108. In this game, Ball did not have the craziest stat line, but it was his impact on the others around him that really stood out.
Ball had only 12 points but also put together a near triple-double with nine rebounds and eight assists. If there is one thing Ball is elite at, it’s creating open opportunities for his teammates in both the half-court and especially in the open floor. Well, the LaMelo Ball effect was the catalyst of a 37-point performance from Hornets’ newcomer Kelly Oubre as well as 25 points from Gordon Hayward. Oubre was on fire from deep despite typically being an above-the-rim athlete as he hit 7-of-9 threes.
Lastly, the Charlotte Hornets got a big 104-96 win over the New York Knicks in the Kemba Walker Returns game. Walker held his end of the bargain in making things interesting, putting up 26 points in 30 minutes. But unfortunately, his supporting cast did not come in with the same energy as Walker did. In the win, the Hornets held former All-Star forward Julius Randle to only 10 points in a team-high 33 minutes and Knicks newcomer Evan Fournier only had five points.
On the other side, the Hornets were getting buckets from everywhere. Hayward with 22 points and seven assists. Bridges with a team-high 24 points including a big-time dunk in the final moments of the game. 18 points from Terry Rozier and 12 from Oubre off the bench. Then there is the star of the show: LaMelo Ball. At 6-foot-7 we knew he could rebound at a pretty high level, but this performance was way beyond expectation. Along with his 12 points, Ball led all players with a career-high 17 rebounds and nearly completed another potential triple-double with nine assists.
The guy is a walking stat machine that always seems to be in striking distance of a triple-double. Seems like he just can’t help himself these days since becoming the youngest player to record a triple-double last season in a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. But as he goes, Charlotte goes so this trend only means good things in the immediate future for Ball and the Hornets. Next up for Charlotte, they continue their four-game home stretch as they welcome MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry and the 11-1 Golden State Warriors.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Heading West, Ja Morant has been on a tear thus far in Year 3 and is starting to make a case for Top-5 point guard in the NBA.
It is a small sample size, but through 12 games Morant is averaging 26.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. His 26.5 points per game put him at 5th amongst league leaders and just barely out of 3rd behind All-Star forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo (26.5) and Paul George (26.7). Also, his 7.2 assists put him in a four-way tie for 4th amongst league leaders along with the aforementioned LaMelo Ball, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. In short, Morant is playing like a complete combo guard that gives an opposing team 30 on any given night while also being able to keep his teammates active and involved.
Last week, the Memphis Grizzlies didn’t necessarily show out in the win column as they were 1-2 so, but that didn’t stop Morant from continuing to put the league on notice. Similar to the Charlotte Hornets, the Grizzlies kicked off the week going into overtime. But in this case, it was Memphis who came out on top as they took down the Minnesota Timberwolves, 125-118.
The T-Wolves gave the Grizzlies a good fight as the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell combined for 82 of the team’s 118 points. Unfortunately for them, the well ran dry in OT as Towns was held scoreless and the trio finished with only five total points in the extended time
On the other side, Ja Morant led the charge for the Grizzlies along with 20 big points from Brandon Clarke off the bench. Morant finished the game with 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists, a block, and a steal. He easily led the team with 24 shot attempts as the next highest was second-year guard Desmond Bane with 13 shots. He also led all players at the free-throw line as he hit 10 of his 12 attempts. While Minnesota relied on primarily three guys for scoring along with Jaden McDaniels (11), Memphis finished the game with six guys in double figures. That’s the definition of a team effort, even with Morant putting up an MVP-caliber performance.
Next up was the aforementioned matchup against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. In spite of the loss, the Grizzlies got solid performances from Morant as well as Dillon Brooks who made his season debut after coming off an injury. Morant led the team with 32 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and came up with three steals as well. His frontcourt of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams combined for 28 points and 20 rebounds while being a combined +19 on the floor. Then there was Brooks who returned in style from his hand injury as he dropped 20 points, four rebounds, and six assists in 26 minutes. The Grizzlies may have come out with the L but seeing Brooks play at a high level in a limited role is at least something the team can slowly work to build upon.
Lastly, the Grizzlies took on Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in a matchup that was not pretty. The Suns had eight players finish in double figures en route to a 25-point victory as they took Memphis down 119-94. The game may have been ugly for the Grizzlies’ defense, but that did not stop their young studs from giving Phoenix buckets on the other end. Morant finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists while Jaren Jackson added 19 points and chipped in two blocks.
As a young team that got a little taste of the playoffs last season, coach Taylor Jenkins has a motivated group with a handful of building blocks for their future core. They have a leading act in Morant, players with high potential like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, and a few veterans like Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks to help keep the ship steady. Round that out with viable role players like Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, and De’Anthony Melton who understand and embrace their roles.
They have one of the deepest teams in the league. Now it’s up for Morant to determine the team’s ceiling and potential playoff success down the road. Next up on the schedule, Memphis looks to bounce back as they match up against former Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas and the struggling New Orleans Pelicans.
