Logo

There were jaw-dropping passes. Careless turnovers. No made field goals.

LaMelo Ball’s preseason debut had a little bit of everything.

The third pick in the draft by the Hornets, Ball didn’t score, missing all five of his shots. But the 6-foot-7 point guard did have 10 rebounds and four assists while also committing four turnovers in 16 up-and-down minutes in a 111-100 loss to the Raptors.

Ball, who opted for the professional route rather than in college, was in play to be the No. 1 pick, though the Timberwolves ultimately picked shooting guard Anthony Edwards. The Warriors picked James Wiseman at No. 2.


  LaMelo Ball NBAE via Getty Images LaMelo Ball NBAE via Getty Images

Ball flashed some immense ability in the opener, such as a no-look pass in transition that led to a Miles Bridges layup. But his shot, a concern entering the draft, is obviously a work in progress.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy