LaMelo Ball will be playing in his sixth NBA season this year, yet he has never reached the playoffs once in his career. Last year, Ball played 47 games, his third straight season where he did not reach 50 appearances during the regular season. In Kevin O'Connor's podcast, NBA insider David Thorpe talked about Ball, criticizing him for a lack of winning qualities on top of his questionable health situation. "I'm rooting for him. I want him to be successful," Thorpe said. "I want to be wrong when I wrote that he doesn't play with the same fire this league needs. If you watch the playoffs, it's only getting tougher. Every team is looking for those dogs that hound you all the time, dive all the time, take charges, and be able all the time through contact.""LaMelo is such a fragile guy... You don't have to be the best player in the world this year. Just be better," he added. Ball put up a career-best 25.2 points, along with 4.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game last season, albeit the Hornets finished in the 14th seed with just 19 wins in 82 games. Ball had two surgeries for his right ankle and wrist, causing him to miss most of the 2024-2025 season. The Hornets have built a formidable young crew during Ball's tenure with the team, which features Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges. This year, they drafted Duke Kon Knueppel for their fourth pick on top of adding Collin Sexton. Hornets franchise expects LaMelo Ball to take a leap next seasonThe Charlotte Hornets have continued to give LaMelo Ball their full trust as they expect him to leap next season. According to Hornets insider Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Ball is expected to deliver in certain responsibilities with the team. "As the face of the franchise and the team’s highest paid player, there are certain responsibilities that come with that, and the Hornets want to see Ball take a leap in becoming more of a leader,” he wrote. Boone also expressed that head coach Charles Lee is banking on Ball's partnership with Sexton for next season. "Sexton, Lee says, elevates the whole environment and Sexton and Ball are really building a rapport and talking up a storm together a lot after practice.”The Hornets will open their season against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 22.