The constant need for the LA Clippers to repetitively go out of their way to acquire stars on the market, plus LaMelo Ball's unleashed potential, seems to make the match like peanut butter and jelly. But the Clippers should think twice, as Ball lacks the defensive mindset required on a championship team and has a bad habit of attempting some wild shots from the field.
Granted, there is upside to Ball. He is 24 years old, with superstar traits already evident, and learned to lead, even on one of the losingest teams of the last decade, in the Charlotte Hornets' system with Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller.
However, Ball back in LA following his childhood and teenage years in Chino Hills for the Clippers would be a messy show. His issues with James Harden at shooting guard and Jeff Van Gundy as one of his coaches are far too predictable, though entertaining, even from a bird's-eye view.
LaMelo Ball would sink the LA Clippers' ship in no time
LaMelo Ball's game will be intriguing to trade suitors, following reports from Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko, because of his creative mind. The one-legged, long-range jumpers he is seen taking are a prime example. When they fall into the net, there are essentially no complaints, but when Ball misses wide left or wide right, or even air balls, it becomes clear a better shot could have been found if more effort had been put in.
Moreover, Ball is shooting 38.6% from the field this season on 17.9 shots per game. This is the second-most inefficient percentage among those attempting at least 15 shots a game, behind Ja Morant at 35.9% on 16.3 attempts, who is also expected to be traded in the next few months.
Additionally, Ball's defense is nothing but problematic. How can he even be expected to co-exist with Jeff Van Gundy harping on him to defend, when his defensive rating this season has been 118.2?
Thus, Ball's detriments in shot quality and coverage of the game's 94 feet do not mesh with James Harden. They would ultimately be two similar players, hogging all of the Clippers' backcourt minutes, which has a history of going sideways.
That said, the Clippers' doubts on Ball should be obvious. His game does not help in many ways, making him a less viable trade deadline option for Lawrence Frank to acquire with weighted expiring contracts and future draft picks.