The Charlotte Hornets' season has not gone to plan. But young point guard LaMelo Ball is once again showing why he is becoming the face of the franchise.
Heading into the new year, the Hornets find themselves at 10-28 on the season. Along with this, they currently occupy the 14th seed in the Western Conference.
But amid the struggles that the Hornets have faced, LaMelo Ball has put together an elite campaign. And he has now earned a spot in the history books.
On Wednesday night, as the Hornets take on the Memphis Grizzlies, Ball has put himself into a special group of players. In the second quarter, Ball assisted on a three-point make by Jalen McDaniels.
And just like that, @MELOD1P is the 4th youngest NBA player in history to reach 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ assists #LetsFly | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/HMGBnBFLAl
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 5, 2023
With the shot by McDaniels, Ball earned the 1,000th assist of his career. At 21 years old, he became the fourth youngest player in NBA history to reach this mark.
Even with the Hornets struggles this season, LaMelo Ball has been a lone bright spot. The third-year point guard has improved in nearly every way following his explosive sophomore season.
In his second year, LaMelo Ball appeared in 75 games. He finished the year averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also shot well, averaging 42.9% from the floor and 38.9% behind the arc.
Now in his third season, Ball is playing the best basketball of his young career. After missing the start of the season with an ankle injury, he has fully established himself on the court. In the 14 games that he has played, he is averaging 23.7 PPG, 1.3 SPG, 7.8 APG, and 6.0 RPG.
While the Hornets have not found much success this season, they seem headed in the right direction. With LaMelo Ball leading the unit, they may very well be among the NBA’s most competitive teams in the near future.
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