The point guard position in the NBA has been increasing in talent exponentially over the last decade. Many young floor generals have quickly established themselves as among the league's top players due to their talent, IQ and sheer competitiveness to compete with more experienced peers. The ascension of these point guards is not surprising, but the pace at which this large group of individuals from the same position is already excelling still raises eyebrows.

Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray and De'Aaron Fox are some of the NBA's star point guards younger than 25. All five of them have developed at a rapid pace since entering the league, but two other names are being closely compared to them because of highlight-reel plays each time they take the floor.

Both LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant are on the fast track toward superstardom, but these are a few reasons why Ball will end up with a better career when it's all set and done.

Size and Height

These two factors may initially seem not like a difference-maker when comparing two spectacular NBA players. Ball's vision, decision-making, and selflessness has already been terrific in just his sophomore season and one reason for that is because he can pass over the top of dogged defense from smaller guards. At 6'7″, Ball can emulate how jumbo playmakers like Doncic and LeBron James are able to rack up assists every single game.

As Ball is a reliable threat to score as well, the mix of his scoring and passing is a phenomenal asset for the Charlotte Hornets. Morant is also capable of tallying similar numbers, but the best defensive units try to limit him with a large defender or frequent double-teams, a strategy that's paid off at times in the season's early going due to his subpar size compared to LaMelo Ball.

Even if both are still just adequate defenders, Ball has more upside to flourish defensively because of his length as a switch defender and help defender. Additionally, Ball is averaging 1.7 steals over his career already compared to the 1.0 of Morant.

Supporting cast

Believe it or not, the careers of superstars are measured through their team achievements at the game's highest level, not just in the individual accolades. During Ball's rookie season, Charlotte was already in the middle of the playoff race, a testament to his leadership and influence over the Hornets franchise.

Charlotte has been more active in signings and trades than Memphis as they've added Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee ever since Ball's arrival in 2020-21. The initiative of the front office to quickly bolster the supporting cast of Ball is something he must delighted about.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies had a solid two-way center in Jonas Valanciunas and sharpshooter Grayson Allen on their roster last season, but traded them over the summer. Some of Memphis' other recent roster-building moves have been questionable, too.

Shooting

Players in the early stages of their careers will inevitably commit mistakes on the path to reaching their potential. Ball has already made major strides as a shooter in his professional career, knocking down 37.8% from beyond the arc this season on high volume despite shooting just 25% from three during his stint in Australia's NBL two years ago. As the NBA continues to emphasize space, pace and positional versatility, an excellent outside shot has grown more and more valuable because defenses have an increasingly difficult time closing out on shooters.

Morant has upped his three-point makes to close to two per game, but LaMelo Ball has made seven conversions from deep in two different games this year. Ball's shooting form has been highly criticized, but doesn't deserve scrutiny as long as he keeps up his current pace as a three-point shooter.