Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons from Bron/Melo showdown vs Hornets

Mar 18, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) meets with Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) following the 116-105 victory at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) meets with Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) following the 116-105 victory at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Los Angeles Lakers
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

LaMelo Ball is for real Los Angeles Lakers fans! This is not a LaVar Ball media hype production!

LaMelo Ball can play folks! This is not LaVar Ball blowing smoke as he did for most of Lonzo’s tenure in a Lakers uniform. Low key, the staff actually misses LaVar. Man, he gave us a ton to write about when things were bad.

Okay maybe there are Lakers fans that have bad memories of all the promises on the possible star potential Lonzo Ball (Okay maybe LaVar Ball’s bragging!) was going to bring the Lakers, but his younger brother is as good as advertised. The youngest Ball is everything his older brother was SUPPOSED to be.

After starting slowly in the first half, Ball could have easily mailed it in as a bad experience and moved on. Instead, he came out in the second half and led a 19-4 run that tied the game up at 64 in the third quarter.

In 33 minutes, Ball finished with a team-high 26 points (10-18 shooting!) with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. What really caught the Lake Show Life staff’s eye was when the Hornets brought him back at the end of the third quarter and he threw the ball 2/3 of the court that looked like a Nolan Ryan fastball.

This dude is fearless (He even shot a step-back jumper in LeBron’s face!) and his basketball I.Q. along with his passing ability has brought star power to the Queen City of Charlotte.

Okay…back to the Los Angeles Lakers. Quietly, the roster is getting stronger and stronger despite missing two starters in Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol. When both of these players finally return, think of how many options Frank Vogel will have on the bench. Markieff Morris and Damian Jones have done a great job in the starting lineup at the 4 and 5 positions. Read on to see how happy Lakers Nation should be.