LaMelephant: The LaMelo Ball Thread (#2)

[JustBuzzin]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1q9k0ne/lamelo_ball_and_charles_lee_do_not_see_eyetoeye/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_buttonThis guy...

[Diop]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1q9k0ne/lamelo_ball_and_charles_lee_do_not_see_eyetoeye/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_buttonThis guy...

I think Perkins crossed a line here, Charlotte should be able to have action taken against him making up **** like this.

[fatlever]

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Oh no somebody taught the melo Stan idiots How to use AI. Pretty funny though. But it comes from a place of pathetic sadness

[JDR720]

Well, they do have "artificial intelligence" so I guess it fits.

[Hornet Mania]

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Oh no somebody taught the melo Stan idiots How to use AI. Pretty funny though. But it comes from a place of pathetic sadness

We're all fortunate the Lin zealots didn't have AI at their disposal. Their output would rival Bollywood.

[wilson115]

"I just hope Charlotte do what they do to continue building around Shorty, because Shorty is legit."

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[SWedd523]

Less people should be on podcasts

[Bassman]

See, this is what GRINDS me about LaMelo. I really DO believe he loves the game and cares a lot. His talent is legit! But show me ANY team that has been able to regularly win playoff series, and especially a championship, by playing fun ball/circus hoops? Is there confidence that Melo will ever become a disciplined PG who can lead when the going gets tough? I really really REALLY want him to do that! But in play in games he flunked. He's gotten older, but he just isn’t willing to change. I think this is what is frustrating Coach Lee. He needs Melo to take next steps, play smart, value possessions, focus on creating as a bigger part of his bag.

Carmelo can talk about just letting Ball play with joy, or whatever, but just having fun ain’t enough.

[JustBuzzin]

The good thing the Trae Young trade was so bad there is no chance Charlotte is trading him this season. Even Ja is reportedly not valued high either. Now is not the time to be entertaining LaMelo offers.

I actually like the way our core 3 is playing together. Give them the rest of the season to gel and see if we can get lucky and land in the top 4 of the draft.

[EmpireFalls]

By far our best and most important player, there’s not even a discussion whatsoever. Do not trade him.

[tondi123]

With the off-season signings it really did feel like the team had trading him in mind. Dont think thats realistic now, especially since the market seems to be very poor for players like him at the moment.

Hopefully he can gradually get used to every game and possession mattering now that he's actually got some competent teammates and, with some tweaks, can have a winning team. Just playing for oohs and ahhs should no longer be the primary goal.

[GoBobs]

Kind of funny that a bunch of adults want to be critics of another adult, playing a kids game in a way they don't find serious enough.

I love LaMelo. The point of basketball is fun and entertainment. Nobody is doing it better than he is.

[GoBobs]

Watch on YouTube

[Bassman]

Kind of funny that a bunch of adults want to be critics of another adult, playing a kids game in a way they don't find serious enough.

I love LaMelo. The point of basketball is fun and entertainment. Nobody is doing it better than he is.

Well, to each his own, so enjoy the show my friend. Wins don’t really matter, nor does competing for playoffs and a championship, when it’s all about entertainment.

[JMAC3]

The difference between LaMelo and Trae Young is that...
The Hawks saw their team play without Trae Young, and they were better without him. Hence maybe some truth to that he is a losing player.

We have seen the Hornets before LaMelo Ball, we were a bad team and have never won anything.
We have seen the team when LaMelo is out and we are worse without him.

All the stats will say the Hornets perform better when LaMelo plays, yet some people want to make it seem like life after LaMelo will somehow be the answer to us being a better team. With zero data to back it up, just a hunch because they don't like LaMelo some nights.

So to see people equate LaMelo meaning we will never win in playoffs or championship it is funny, as if we have some proof of the team doing that without him. Truly a fun take to see passed off so frequently.

[Bassman]

Article on players hurting their value ahead of the trade deadline. Posting here because yours truly is on the list. Note the comment from an NBA executive:

“Just this campaign, an anonymous executive labeled Ball as the most unserious player in the league:
Fair or not, the Hornets haven’t sniffed a playoff appearance in the Ball era, one that might not last much longer, especially after Charlotte found a true potential building block in young sharpshooter Kon Knueppel.”

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2026/01/09/eight-nba-players-hurting-trade-value-ahead-2025-26-trade-deadline/88102348007/

[JMAC3]

Hawks record without Trae 18-13
Hawks record with Trae 2-8

Grizz record without Ja 11-10
Grizz record with Ja 6-12

Hornets record without LaMelo 3-7
Hornets record with LaMelo 11-19

So yeah Hawks are better without Trae, Memphis better without Morant, Hornets worse without LaMelo.

This is not the same situation.

[luciano-davidwesley]

Article on players hurting their value ahead of the trade deadline. Posting here because yours truly is on the list. Note the comment from an NBA executive:

“Just this campaign, an anonymous executive labeled Ball as the most unserious player in the league:
Fair or not, the Hornets haven’t sniffed a playoff appearance in the Ball era, one that might not last much longer, especially after Charlotte found a true potential building block in young sharpshooter Kon Knueppel.”

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2026/01/09/eight-nba-players-hurting-trade-value-ahead-2025-26-trade-deadline/88102348007/

So we are recycling anonymous, months old quotes now?

[yosemiteben]

Hornets record without LaMelo 3-7
Hornets record with LaMelo 11-19

...Hornets worse without LaMelo.

I don't want to trade Melo if he's turned the corner on staying healthy, but I don't think the record argument, at least for this season, is particularly compelling to say we're materially better with him. 3/10 = 30%, and 11/30 = 36%, so 6% better. Based on that, assuming he'd play 82 games in a season, we'd win 5 more games with him compared to having him 0 games.

[fatlever]

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moose working overtime