Another week of NBA basketball has passed, and the Ball Brothers continue to stand out. With Lonzo on the Bulls, LaMelo on the Hornets, and LiAngelo on the Hornets G-League team, let’s take a look at their performances this past week.
Lamelo Ball Continues to Shine
The youngest Ball is making sure he gets noticed. The Hornets finish the week 2-1, and LaMelo continues to put the league on notice. Don’t believe me? Watch this.
THIS LAMELO SEQUENCE ? pic.twitter.com/k2fSXMAz0l
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 15, 2022
NBA fans shouldn’t be surprised by this highlight, as he has made eye-popping plays throughout his NBA career so far. During this three-game week, he finished with at least 23 points twice. Even though he had a disappointing shooting performance against the 76ers, he had seven rebounds and eight assists to propel his team to a win.
He continues to show he’s an all-around player, and we should start calling him a superstar. Some people are already doing so.
“When I think of a household name every kid in America loves Lamelo Ball. … He’s at the point where you can call him a superstar!”
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 11, 2022
—@KendrickPerkins ? pic.twitter.com/woujTuyhdG
Upcoming schedule:
- 1/17: at Knicks
- 1/19: at Celtics
- 1/21: vs Thunder
Liangelo Ball Receiving Limited Opportunities
As I have mentioned before, LiAngelo Ball is finally getting a fair opportunity to play in the NBA. However, he has received limited minutes during his time with the Hornets G-League team. The Swarm started their regular season on January 7th, and LiAngelo scored six points in 17 minutes. Since then, his minutes continue to be around the 14-17 minute range
Despite his terrible shooting performance against the Skyhawks, there’s no reason why LiAngelo shouldn’t receive more minutes. He’s shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, which is good for the fourth-best on the team. He deserves more time on the court because his shooting can propel this team to a win. The team is currently 2-2, but there’s no harm in giving LiAngelo a chance to see what he can do with more minutes.
Besides, it’s not his shooting that makes him valuable to this team. He’s averaging a steal per game, tying him for second on the team. He can contribute on both sides of the ball, strengthening the argument that the Greensboro Swarm has to realize they need to play him more.
Upcoming schedule
- 1/17 vs Capital City
- 1/22 vs Delaware
Lonzo Ball Continues to Be an All-Around Player
Despite missing Saturday’s game against the Celtics, Lonzo Ball had another solid week with the Bulls of Chicago. He shot no worse than 41 percent from the field during this four-game stretch, including shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in three of the four games this week.
His assist and rebounding numbers continue to stand out, as he had at least six rebounds and five assists in three of the four games that he played. Don’t forget about his defensive presence, as he had three steals against both Dallas and Detroit.
The Bulls had a rough stretch this week, finishing with a 1-4 record. However, he continues to have an all-around career year. When healthy, the oldest Ball will be a key piece on the Bulls’ path towards a playoff spot.
Lonzo Ball is top 3 in SPG, top 10 in 3PM, 1 of 2 guards in the top 35 BPG, top 13 in 3PT %, top 2 in most threes made shooting above 42%.
— ??????? (@stepbackZO2) January 13, 2022
All Bulls fans need to help Lonzo get his damn respect RT THIS TWEET to vote #LonzoBall to the #NBAAllStar game.
1 RT = 2 Votes today. pic.twitter.com/t1BPOGGENh
Upcoming schedule
- 1/17 at Grizzlies
- 1/19 vs Cavaliers
- 1/21 at Bucks
For more on the NBA and the Ball family, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Nathan on Twitter!
