Without a doubt, LaMelo Ball has lived up to expectations during his second season in the NBA. After winning the Rookie of the Year award, the sophomore has taken the All-Star leap after being named as a reserve for Team Durant. At the same time, the Charlotte Hornets' star is improving all facets of his game, which has gained him more fans in the hobby. The intriguing thing is his rookie card value is dropping, even though Ball is playing better and there's a big demand for his stock in the market.
We take a deep dive down below at Ball's sophomore campaign and how his rookie cards are performing from a price perspective.
LaMelo Ball's All-Star Second Year Season
Even as a teenager during his first season with the Hornets, Ball was already playing at a high level. In the 51 games he played, 31 as a starter, the then-rookie averaged 15.7 points on 43% shooting from the field and 35% from beyond the arc while making 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 steals. He also came off as a credible defender and impressive playmaker during that whole campaign, which resulted in him being named as the Rookie of the Year.
After missing the playoffs last year, the Hornets are currently in the mix for a spot in the play-in tournament. This is where Ball's leap this season becomes an important factor for Charlotte to succeed. In the 64 games he has played so far, the point guard has increased his numbers to 19.7 points by hitting 42% from the field, 37% from deep, and 86% from the free throw line. He's also making 6.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 32.1 minutes per game.
While all of these numbers look great on paper, it gets better in an actual game. During the Hornets' match against the Indiana Pacers earlier this season, the point guard notched 32 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and a single steal in 39 minutes on the court. Ball also connected 54% of his field goals, 45% from three, and 100% from the charity stripe. This performance led to a 121-118 win for Charlotte over an Indiana squad that still had Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Caris LeVert in it.
This kind of performance has made Ball more popular, both on the court and in the card market. That's why it didn't come off as a surprise when the second-year guard was named to his first All-Star Game appearance recently as a reserve for Team Durant. During that match, the Hornets' guard posted 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. All things considered, that's not a bad debut for someone so young in the NBA and with a lot of years ahead in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9wCIZ0mHG0
But as great as his game is, there are some weaknesses Ball must resolve so he can take another leap in the league. There are games when he's hot from three and a couple after when he's shooting bricks. While his playmaking remains consistent, the All-Star needs to become a deadlier scoring threat to open up more opportunities for his teammates or help close out games against better teams.
Plus, the point guard needs to prove to collectors that he can transform Charlotte into a perennial playoff contender as soon as possible. If Ball manages to accomplish these things, expect more and more fans to flock his stock in the card market.
The state of LaMelo Ball rookie cards
Along with Luka Doncic and Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball cards are among the hottest stocks in the market. Rightfully so because the Hornets' All-Star is the best guy from his class and he has been showing in his performance all season long. The thing is, his rookie card value isn't reflecting that improvement in the market.
In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Ball's PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card has gone down by almost 37% from $2,900 to $1,830. This short-term drop occurred over the course of 15 confirmed sales on eBay.
The same thing can be said about Ball's PSA 10 base Prizms. In another short-term Card Ladder graph covering the same period, the said card has dropped by 32% from $357 to $242 over the course of 89 sales. The overall quantity of these gem-mint slabs, according to PSA's population report, is 710 while the more coveted Silver rookie card is around 96.
The verdict on LaMelo Ball cards
While this drop may seem worrying, there are several key points that need to be remembered. At the peak of last season, LaMelo Ball rookie cards were overhyped in the market. Even a base Optic Rated Rookie card of the Hornets' franchise star was selling for insane prices.
Now that he's almost done with his second season, Ball's value has somehow corrected. It only makes sense since there is a lot of his cards in the market and there's a new batch of rookies making noise in the hobby as well. In any case, this isn't a massive drop that some may fear.
The key play here is to scoop up those LaMelo Ball rookie cards at the best price possible. The farthest Charlotte can potentially reach is the first round of the playoffs. It's expected that they wouldn't make it past the number one or two seed in the Eastern Conference, which would lead Ball to start his offseason earlier than other big names in the hobby.
At this point, his rookie cards will drop, as will most other stocks in the lead-up to the following season. This will be great for those with keen eyes as there is more room for growth and profit when that time comes. In any case, Ball's stock in the card market is a pretty good one to invest in and better than almost everyone from his class. It wouldn't certainly hurt to score a graded card of the Hornets' All-Star at his current price level.
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