Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball shakes Top 5 as he gets closer to return

Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball shakes Top 5 as he gets closer to return

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LaMelo Ball is near a return to the floor while rehabilitating his right wrist injury.

He’s baaaack.

OK, not rugby player, as in the Charlotte Hornets series, which once again caused their offense with his tremendous court vision and which was a big lead in the Rookie of the Year consideration in the rest of the 2020 class.

But LaMelo Ball is back in the pipeline of the Hornets’ injury update and is playing here again on the Kia Rookie Ladder. It may not be long before he returns to treating ROY rivals with his nightly performances, as Larry Bird treated earlier with other three-point shootout contestants (‘Who comes second then?’).

Charlotte released a surprise report on Monday – or at least earlier than expected – that Ball had been cleared for individual basketball activities. The roll of the right wrist he broke on March 20 was off, and a CT scan confirmed that the surgery and the pen inserted had done their job. A timeline of 7 to 10 days can have him back by the end of the month. That would leave Ball for ten games to help the Hornets give a playoff or at least a berth and assert itself again in the ROY race.

The first things: is it reckless in any way? The Hornets are convinced that this is not the case. GM Mitch Kupchak passed on information from their medical experts from the start that once Ball’s leg was healed, he would simply have to regain flexibility.

And coach James Borrego said on Tuesday: ‘Nothing was written in stone. … Hopefully we see meaningful [improvement] daily flexibility. The no. 1 thing is that it does not sound like he can further injure this thing. ”

So we can now shift our focus to the Ladder. Ball has been on the no. 6 parked, a compromise his stars recognized for the first three months, while allowing other rookies to rise or fall as the season played out. (James Wiseman of Golden State received the same treatment during his absence, until he had a season-ending operation on his right knee last week. He appeared in just 39 games. Orlando’s Cole Anthony slipped completely off the Ladder when he played 25 games missed in the middle) of the Magic’s schedule. But he’s back now.)

As for Ball’s ROY worthiness, the problem comes down to games played. Would 41 out of 72 be enough to earn the award? No player has ever won one of the NBA’s individual awards with such a low participation rate (57%). Patrick Ewing played 50 of 82 games (61%) by being named ROY in 1985 – the lowest ever.

Some potential voters, as noted in last week’s Ladder, have Charlotte observer they still tended to have ball 1 on their ballots. For those of us who feel that rookies who have played most of the season deserve more consideration, Ball’s looming return may be swaying votes.

And his first 41 games were so impressive, even some rusty performances might not have dropped his stats or changed the eye tests. Still to be determined over the last few weeks: Will Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jae’Sean Tate or any other beginner have done enough to catch and surpass Ball, who will soon no longer be a stationary target.

The Top 5 this Week on the Kia Rookie Ladder 2020-21:

(All statistics up to and including Monday 19 April)

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Season statistics: 18.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg
Since last learning: 21.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Last step: 1

Edwards received approval from Clippers star Paul George the other day: “He’s having a great time. Strong child. Explosive child, ” George said after he and the Timberwolves rookie each scored 23 points in LA’s Sunday from Minnesota. “He has a powerful game. He can do a little bit of everything, shoot the three balls, get off the pins, pick and roll, and he ends up strong at the basket. You’re talking about a three-level scorer … He’s elite. I see star, All-Star, possibly superstar. Heaven is the limit for the child. ”

Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets

Season statistics: 11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
Since last ladder: 14.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.8 apg
Last stairs: 3

There’s often an element you’ve done for us lately, and Tate is an excellent example of that. The Houston Rockets ‘stronger season provided opportunities in coach Stephen Silas’ training, and Tate benefited from that by playing a few small forwards and even accepting the points position when John Wall missed a game. The undefeated 25-year-old adjusted how he played, but not how hard. “I have a bloody nose a week on average,” Tate said after Houston beat Orlando. “This is what sometimes happens when you play hard.”

3. Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons

Season statistics: 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 apg
Since last ladder: 14.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
Last stairs: 4

Our Monday cut-off from statistics enabled Bey, who missed 14 of his previous 16 3-point attempts, to ease the Cavaliers out of the arc on Monday for 6-of-11 on their way to 20 points. Bey’s total field goal percentage of 41.2% is affected by taking 68% of his shots from three points. But the Pistons think Bey is evolving his creation to become more than a 3-and-D man. Coach Dwane Casey believes that the no. 19 of Villanova should be in the ROY talk and at the moment he is.

4. Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings

Seasonal statistics: 12.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
Since last ladder: 7.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 3.0 apg
Last stairs: 2

Haliburton is an interesting case in the context of Ball’s absence of injuries. If the Kings’ rookie was injured and sidelined this month, would he be better off as a ROY candidate? He was named the best newcomer to the Western Conference for the first two months, but his April split is weak. He averaged 9.4 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 38.5%, although his assistants (5.8) and his turnover (1.2) are still strong. With the Sacramento 1-9 point this month, Haliburton, like all his teammates, does not mean to win these days either.

LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

Season statistics: 15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.1 apg
Since last Ladder: DNP
Last steps: 6

Ball kept things simple in his Zoom call with reporters Tuesday. Did not talk at length about what he learned to look away from during his dismissal or worries he has about coming back. “I almost started,” Ball said of the rehabilitation work to flex his right hand and wrist smoothly. “This morning I got treatment, trying to bend it down, bend it up, all that kind of stuff.” No one asked him to demonstrate in front of the camera, but the quick healing ability of 19-year-olds is a plus for him and the Hornets.

The following five:

Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 9.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg
Since last ladder: 9.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg
Last stairs: 5

Move back into the starting lineup for the injured Dillon Brooks.

Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons

Season statistics: 7.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 apg
Since last: 16.0 ppg, 14.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Last stairs: 9

Overperforms as number 16 pick and as a 6-foot center.

8. James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors

Seasonal statistics: 11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.7 apg
Since last Ladder: DNP
Last stairs: 7

A knee surgery with a season ending in 39 games up and down.

9. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks

Season statistics: 11.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
Since last ladder: 6.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Last steps: 8

In April, 43.2% shot at 3FGAs, but 32.4% at 2FGAs.

T10. Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic

Seasonal statistics: 11.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg
Since last ladder: 15.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.3 apg
Last Ladder’s Rung: N / A

Shooting is rusty, but he again makes a contribution after 25 absences.

T10. Xavier Tillman Sr., Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
Since last ladder: 13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
Last Ladder’s Rung: N / A

Average 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 57.8% shooting in the victories of Grizzlies.

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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. You can email him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

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