Rick Carlisle on LaMelo Ball: ‘He looks like the Rookie of the Year’
Just 12 games into the season, LaMelo Ball has, at times, looked to be by far the best rookie in the NBA based on his ability to impact games on both ends of the floor. The production by Ball, which has come off the bench, didn’t go unnoticed by Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.
Ball and the Hornets squared off against the Mavericks on Wednesday for the second time this season. However, after beating the Mavericks on Dec. 30, the Hornets were unable to complete the 2-0 season sweep after losing, 104-93.
The third overall pick contributed four points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes off the bench. His three-game streak of hauling in at least 10 rebounds, which was a Hornets rookie record, came to an end as Dallas dominated the contest and led from start to finish.
Prior to the meeting, Carlisle heaped some praise on Ball based on his play to this point of the season.
“He’s terrific,” Carlisle said. “Right now, with the way things look, he looks like Rookie of the Year to me. He’s getting it done statistically, their team is winning, he’s got energy, he’s got a vibe, he’s got swagger. If you like watching players that play with flair, he’s right up there. He had a huge game against us. We have great respect for him. That’s about all I can say about it – the guy is getting the job done on the floor.”
In the previous meeting, Ball scored a career-high 22 points and eight rebounds to lead the Hornets to victory. He has since tied that mark of 22 points, which occurred on Saturday when he became the youngest player ever to record a triple-double.
The emergence of Ball has enabled the Hornets (6-6) to get off to a solid start this season.
Prior to losing on Wednesday, the team had posted its longest winning streak since April 2019 at four games. He has given the team a huge boost off the boost and that has resulted in some remarkable performances, something that figures to continue the more he develops each game.
If Ball can continue that production, he may very well be the next Rookie of the Year winner…
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