Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball took the NBA by storm last season, cruising to Rookie of the Year honors. The team managed to make the Play-In Tournament but were knocked out by the Indiana Pacers.

While he did enjoy a tremendous campaign, Hornets head coach James Borrego wants to see one specific thing from him in 2021-22. Basically, he wants Melo to be Charlotte's Tom Brady. Via AP Sports:

“I want him to take the reins of this program,” Borrego said. “He’s the quarterback, the floor general and for us to take that next step he must run this team, not only on the offensive end but the defensive end as well.”

Ball was certainly one of the Hornets' main floor generals, averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. But, defensively, there is still work to be done for the youngster. Borrego meanwhile has made a point of getting Ball more in sync with being a leader and running the show.

“A lot of his success last year was based on instinct and feel,” Borrego said. “Now his next step is managing who we are, his personnel around him and understanding the league in general. So our conversation as been around our team, our strengths, our values and understanding his teammates.”

The Hornets guard is certainly up for the task as well:

“It’s going over plays and stuff and watching film and knowing where to be at and where others players are to be,” Ball said. “It’s leading the pack.”

Sure, there were glimpses of what Ball is capable of, but there's no doubt that in order for the Hornets to take that next step, he needs to be leading the charge. The 20-year-old is certainly not lacking confidence either, so it shouldn't be any problem for him to take on this type of role.