LaMelo Ball’s Efficiency Challenges Continue to Limit his Superstar Potential
As LaMelo Ball enters his third NBA season at just 22 years old, questions about his superstar status linger. Despite showcasing exceptional scoring and playmaking abilities, many within the league still view Ball as a borderline superstar rather than the great ace fans anticipate.
This skepticism stems primarily from Ball’s lack of efficiency on the court. Unlike Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, or even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ball struggles to consistently create scoring opportunities at a high level. While his career true shooting percentage of 54.7% is far from terrible, it falls short of the expectations placed upon him.
One area where Ball has thrived throughout his career is his three-point shooting, with an impressive 37.7% success rate on 7.5 attempts per game. However, his shooting percentage diminishes as he moves closer to the basket. Within four feet, Ball has only managed shooting percentages of 53%, 54%, and 54% in his first three seasons, respectively, placing him around the 25th percentile among all point guards in the league.
While Ball’s mid-range shooting statistics show some promise, he tends to favor attacking the paint over opting for early mid-range shots. Upon closer inspection, Ball’s mid-range shooting falls within the middle of the pack, with rankings of 61st and 56th percentile among point guards in field goal percentage during his first two seasons.
At 6-foot-7, Ball possesses the physical attributes, ball handling skills, and creativity to excel in the mid-range game. His size allows for graceful floaters, crafty running plays, and stylish mid-range jumpers that have seemingly disappeared from many players’ arsenals. To unlock his full scoring potential, Ball must strike a balance between maintaining his attempts at the rim while increasing his frequency of mid-range shots.
It is crucial for Ball not to completely abandon his shots at the rim, as his continued development in that area will yield positive results. Last season, Ball ranked 10th in the NBA in breakout assists, showcasing his playmaking prowess alongside his scoring efforts.
As the young star continues to refine his skills and expand his offensive repertoire, all eyes will remain on Ball to see if he can overcome his efficiency challenges and reach the next level. Only time will tell if he can fulfill the lofty expectations set upon him and cement his status as a true superstar in the league.
According to Cleaning The Glass statistics, Ball’s shooting percentages (within four feet) in his first three seasons were 53%, 54% and 54% respectively. That number hovers around the 25th percentile in the league among all point guards, but it’s not the efficiency we’d expect. But a player of his stature and acumen deserves to reach the next level…
The 22-year-old LaMelo Ball is about to enter his third NBA season. His scoring average has been improving every year. In addition to having perimeter abilities that are better than most players, he even passes out assists beyond our imagination, and has already had The experience of being selected for the All-Star Game.
So, why do most people in the NBA think that he is still only a borderline superstar player, and has not yet become the great ace that fans expect?
In short, all the problems stem from Ball’s efficiency. He’s never been able to consistently create efficient scoring opportunities like Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry or even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but he’s always been average (a career true shooting percentage of 54.7 isn’t terrible, but he’s definitely could be better).
Ball has actually been a good 3-point shooter his entire career (37.7% on 7.5 attempts) and has taken nearly 50% of his attempts from beyond the arc over the past two seasons outside out However, his shooting percentage dropped as he got closer to the basket.
Ball’s shooting percentage from 4 to 14 feet was in the middle of the league (55th percentile as a rookie, 52nd percentile as a sophomore). He did even better on long-range shots, shooting 45-for-111 in his sophomore season, ranking in the 62nd percentile among all point guards. Although these data are not first class, they are still much better than his data in the basket.
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According to Cleaning The Glass statistics, Ball’s shooting percentages (within four feet) in his first three seasons were 53%, 54% and 54% respectively. That number hovers around the 25th percentile in the league among all point guards, but it’s not the efficiency we’d expect. Yet a player of his stature and acumen deserves to play at a higher level.
Although he is not an excellent finisher in the basket, this does not prevent him from developing a skill package that can score in the penalty area. Look at Trae Young, he finished average at the rim for most of his career, but he made up for it with his incredible floater.
The problem with Ball is that he has shown some proficiency in mid-range shooting, but he prefers to attack the paint instead of taking early mid-range shots:
According to Glanhau ir Gwydr statistics, in his first two seasons, Ball ranked 61st and 56th percentile respectively among point guards in field goal percentage. (His midrange numbers dipped significantly last year, but that was mostly due to three ankle sprains that limited him to 36 games).
Although mid-range shooting statistics show that mid-range scoring is more consistent than finishing at the basket, Ball’s mid-range shots in the first three years. Basically, it’s better in the middle of the range, but it’s rarely used as a scoring method.
He should be taking advantage of mid-range shots more often. At 6-foot-7, Ball has the size, ball handling and creativity that few other players have, perfect for making floaters, running plays and stylish mid-range jumpers that have disappeared.
So, the key to Ball taking another leap forward as a scorer is likely to rely on him keeping his attempts at the rim at last season’s level (48th percentile, about 4 attempts per game) while increasing his mid-range efforts. frequency. While the actual shooting percentage has not changed, his efficiency may improve.
Ball should not eliminate his shots at the rim completely, and should even continue to work on improving the skills he has been trying to improve. Ball’s continued development will still produce positive results much of the time. According to NBA.com, Ball ranked 10th in the NBA in breakout assists last season. (Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland and Trae Young are some of the players ahead of him).
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