Former player ‘sees no difference’ in Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, SGA style of play
Recently, the The Charlotte Hornets were on fire, winners of seven straight games after a comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday afternoon. A big reason why the Hornets have been so successful is that LaMelo Ball made it to stay mostly on the floor lately, after injuries have played such a big role in his career thus far.
Most recently, the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and NBA champion Iman Shumpert made a bold comparison for Ball’s game as another star NBA point guard on FanDuel’s “Run It Back.”
“I don’t see a difference in how LaMelo Ball plays and how SGA plays … He has all the physical gifts that (Shai) has,” Shumpert said, per Run It Back on X, formerly Twitter.
Indeed, both Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander are taller point guards who are lightning fast and can generally get to their spots with ease. Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning league MVP, certainly has a lot more physicality to his game than Ball, using his frame to get to his spots and torment opponents from the mid-range, drawing plenty of fouls in the process.
Ball’s game, on the other hand, is more about finesse, wowing crowds with his dazzling passing ability and easy shooting touch well beyond the three-point line. While few would argue that Ball plays at a comparable level to what SGA provides for the Thunder, there are some similarities between their games when you take a step back.
Hornets fans are probably more than happy with the way Ball is playing these days, helping develop young players like Kon Knuepel and Brandon Miller and giving Charlotte their first real experience in a while.
The Hornets will look to make it eight straight when they next hit the floor on Thursday against the Houston Rockets on the road.
2026-02-03 16:58:00
