Lamelo Ball has been going absolutely STUPID this season

[HotelVitale]

Unbelievably stupid to fine him for saying that imo. NBA doesn't have better things to worry about?

Why wouldn’t he get fined for saying that? I’m confused how someone could think this. It’s blatantly homophobic.

I'm kinda curious, heat319, why do you think the league shouldn't slap his wrist for this?

[floppymoose]

The league has an established policy on this.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lamelo-ball-fine-explained-nba-hornets-interview-comments/4529aeb95cd2efbe2197f57a

Several other players have been fined for the same thing.

Thread title was more on point than intended?

[JustBuzzin]

Is this thread about his game or about something he said off the court?

This man is playing great basketball yet we only focus on the negative smh

[Trey24]

Is this thread about his game or about something he said off the court?

This man is playing great basketball yet we only focus on the negative smh

Lamelo took over for Kobe on realgm, its only cool to hate him.

Guy is an absolute menace on the court.

[Darth Celtic]

Yeat his team is 6-20 and he's like 43 and 35 percent splits at high volume. Not to mention, you can target him on defense and it's Trae young laughing bad

[316Hornets]

Yeat his team is 6-20 and he's like 43 and 35 percent splits at high volume. Not to mention, you can target him on defense and it's Trae young laughing bad

LaMelo has better true shooting percentage than Harden, Trae, and Luka. Give LaMelo another All Star to play beside and then we can talk team records.

[bledredwine]

PER - 22

…..a great player, no more, no less.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

Well I would take 15/6 over 29/6 with some wins any day unless your building up his trade value to move & build around Miller.

good thing you are not the Hornets GM, christ what a bad take

I just saw a YouTube take about how Luka Doncic was worse than...I can't even remember the point guard that was on the knicks/mavs than nearly busted out of the league or he actually did. The guy was serious, I think it was based on Luka's defence lol.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

Yeat his team is 6-20 and he's like 43 and 35 percent splits at high volume. Not to mention, you can target him on defense and it's Trae young laughing bad

His team is like -1 per game with him on the court, its the other guys blowing it still. Trae Young is also a guy you can build around in the regular season and have a good team despite the bad defence.

[MasterIchiro]

LaMelo Ball is averaging 30 points per game and you would think it controversial.

Come correct.

He's the top scorer among ALL NBA pointguards while flashing the most sensational passing and playmaking the league has ever seen since Jason Kidd.

Kidd is HOF - never scored like this.

The touches are supposed to go the top players in the game. That's how you win.

LaMelo is averaging nearly 10 points in the 4th quarter. He set the gold standard in the NBA.

Scouts scheme to stop him but it doesn't matter. All he has is one sidekick right now. All he needs.

You build around this dude.

[MasterIchiro]

As far as the immature humor, he should of said Yo Soy Hetero. It means the same thing or did I just make up a new locker room towel-snapper? Sounds cooler. Pronouns = HeMan. That's cool too. She-La.

[Bloodbather]

LaMelo Ball is averaging 30 points per game and you would think it controversial.

Come correct.

He's the top scorer among ALL NBA pointguards while flashing the most sensational passing and playmaking the league has ever seen since Jason Kidd.

Kidd is HOF - never scored like this.

The touches are supposed to go the top players in the game. That's how you win.

LaMelo is averaging nearly 10 points in the 4th quarter. He set the gold standard in the NBA.

Scouts scheme to stop him but it doesn't matter. All he has is one sidekick right now. All he needs.

You build around this dude.

Don't get the Kidd comparison. Kidd was a monster defender, one of the few guards in NBA history who had a legit DPOY case at some point. He also couldn't really shoot. Not the same archetype of player.

Nash or Trae are more his archetype.

[BruttoNostra]

Yeat his team is 6-20 and he's like 43 and 35 percent splits at high volume. Not to mention, you can target him on defense and it's Trae young laughing bad

LaMelo has better true shooting percentage than Harden, Trae, and Luka. Give LaMelo another All Star to play beside and then we can talk team records.

Lamelo TS% >> https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lamelo-ball-career-ts
2020-2021 53.9 TS%, 51 GP
2021-2022 55.4 TS%, 75 GP
2022-2023 54.1 TS%, 36 GP
2023-2024 56.1 TS%, 22 GP
2024-2025 56.9 TS%, 16 GP
Career so far: 55.1% TS

Luka's TS% >> https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=luka+don%C4%8Di%C4%87+career+ts
2018-2019 54.5 TS%, 72 GP
2019-2020 58.5 TS%, 61 GP
2020-2021 58.7 TS%, 66 GP
2021-2022 57.1 TS%, 65 GP
2022-2023 60.9 TS%, 66 GP
2023-2024 61.7 TS%, 70 GP
2024-2025 55.0 TS%, 14 GP
Career so far: 58.7% TS


So after his rookie year, Doncic never was below 57% TS until current 14-games sample size shooting slump and obviously won't finish the season with 55% TS.
At the same time, this current 16 games sample size is the highest mark in Lamelo's career.
Let's agree your "has better TS%" is a premature reaction based on a small sample size?

[wco81]

Luka has taken his team to the WCF and NBA Finals.

How far has Melo taken his team?

[Ticket]

LaMelo up to #5 all-time in usage for a single season. Just dropped a 50 burger going against Giannis. This team is so close to turning the corner.

LaMelo currently leading the league in 3 Point Field Goals, #3 in Field Goals, #3 in points per game, #9 in Offensive Plus/Minus, #11 in assists.

He is also #1 in FG missed, #1 in fouling (4.1 a game), #4 in turnovers …

As long as he doesn’t improve on the defensive end, we’re looking mostly at empty stats. Major Trae vibes.

But yeah, true offensive talent, if he gets it together he can be special.

Does he have it in him to bulk up? Would limit the times he’s picked on by opposing teams.

[bledredwine]

LaMelo Ball is averaging 30 points per game and you would think it controversial.

Come correct.

He's the top scorer among ALL NBA pointguards while flashing the most sensational passing and playmaking the league has ever seen since Jason Kidd.

Kidd is HOF - never scored like this.

The touches are supposed to go the top players in the game. That's how you win.

LaMelo is averaging nearly 10 points in the 4th quarter. He set the gold standard in the NBA.

Scouts scheme to stop him but it doesn't matter. All he has is one sidekick right now. All he needs.

You build around this dude.

Don't get the Kidd comparison. Kidd was a monster defender, one of the few guards in NBA history who had a legit DPOY case at some point. He also couldn't really shoot. Not the same archetype of player.

Nash or Trae are more his archetype.

I was actually going to post the same thing. I was going to compare him with Trae.
That's who I see.

Nash, not as much. LaMelo is not nearly efficient enough, not as good at passing
and more careless with the ball, whereas Nash was the opposite of those things.

He's also only 23, so hopefully he has a better career trajectory than Trae has had.

[yosemiteben]

As long as he doesn’t improve on the defensive end, we’re looking mostly at empty stats. Major Trae vibes.

...

Does he have it in him to bulk up? Would limit the times he’s picked on by opposing teams.

He has a ways to go but he definitely has improved on defense this season. He also is not getting targeted. NBA stats page says this season he is averaging 9.4 DFGAs per game, which ranks 12th lowest among starting guards with 10 or more games played.

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-overall?PlayerPosition=G&StarterBench=Starters&dir=A&sort=D_FGA

[Revived]

The league has an established policy on this.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lamelo-ball-fine-explained-nba-hornets-interview-comments/4529aeb95cd2efbe2197f57a

Several other players have been fined for the same thing.

Thread title was more on point than intended?

There is a precedent for the NBA assessing fines for the use of the same phrase. Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 in 2018, Cam Thomas was fined $40,000 in 2023 and Roy Hibbert was fined $75,000 in 2013.

Why is the fine different for each player? Melo got fined 100k for it this time.

[Revived]

Got fined 4 times what Jokic got fined for saying no homo in a interview..

I think NBA fined Jokic and Cam Thomas less because both weren’t born in the US, Jokic in Serbia and Thomas in Japan.

[wco81]

Couple of Warriors fans want to play the "I told you so" game about Melo, how the Warriors should have drafted him.

But in what universe would you have Melo take 38 shots in a game, taking shots from even a 36-year old Curry?