CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The thing the Charlotte Hornets' need above all else is a star, and they hope gifted passer LaMelo Ball is that guy.
The Hornets chose Ball, a point guard, with the No. 3 selection in Wednesday's NBA draft. It was the highest selection for the Hornets since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was chosen by Charlotte second overall in 2012.
Ball has played professionally in Lithuania and most recently in Australia. Younger brother of New Orleans Pelican Lonzo Ball, LaMelo is 6-foot-7 and known for having rare court vision and playmaking ability.
Ball has no lack of confidence; asked by NBA.com before the draft about potentially being the No. 1 pick, he said he was "born" for this.
"I don't look at anything like that as pressure. Being the No. 1 pick definitely holds a lot, but I feel like I was born for it," Ball said.
"He's a fabulous passer and just unique passing instincts," ESPN draft analyst Jay Bilas said of Ball.
While Ball will provide positional size and should improve the Hornets' ball-movement, he isn't a strong jump-shooter, a priority for the position. When a point guard isn't a 3-point threat, it's easier for defenses to cut off his penetration and playmaking in pick-and-rolls.
Ball shot just 25% from 3-point range last season for Illawarra of the Australian league, and he averaged nearly seven attempts from 3-point range.
"He is not a great shooter, and his mechanics need to be overhauled," Bilas said. "That was true of his brother, Lonzo, too, but I think his shot is a little bit better than Lonzo" entering the NBA.
Ball started high school basketball in Southern California, then played professionally in Lithuania briefly, returned to high school at SPIRE Institute in Ohio and ultimately joined the pro league in Australia. His father, bombastic and controversial LaVar Ball (briefly a Carolina Panther), put the family in a web reality show called "Ball in the Family."
As Bilas said pre-draft, that unorthodox upbringing raises questions for teams.
"He bounced around and had a Kardashian-like kind of environment around him," Bilas said. "He didn't have what I would consider a normal process out of high school for a great player, a great prospect.
"That doesn't mean he's not going to step into a team and operate smoothly and be a terrific teammate, and all that stuff. But I'd want to know that" before selecting him.
