LaMelo Ball missed out on All-NBA honors. Here’s how he can get there next year
Here's the roadmap for LaMelo Ball to make an All-NBA team.
LaMelo Ball took a major step forward in the 2025-26 season, but there is still more to do to earn recognition among the NBA’s elite.
The Hornets’ star guard appeared in 70-plus games for the first time since the 2021-22 season and averaged a solid 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists on the year. He led the Hornets to their first play-in appearance since that 2022 season and earned the team its first postseason win in a decade, nailing the game-winning layup against the Heat.
These achievements led to some speculation that Ball could be in contention for a spot on the All-NBA Third Team. However, when the teams were announced this past weekend, Ball’s name was left off after receiving just five votes.
Charlotte has had six players selected to an All-NBA team while with the franchise, but only two have come during the team’s second iteration. The last was Kemba Walker in 2019.
Walker was a bit of a late bloomer in the league. He achieved his first All-Star appearance in year six and didn’t earn his All-NBA selection until year eight.
Ball was the opposite. He came into the league and quickly established himself as a top point guard. Despite this, he is heading into year seven with just one All-Star appearance under his belt.
Injuries and subpar teams have held Ball back, but like Walker, he has the skills to make another leap deep into his career. Here’s how he can do it and earn his first All-NBA nod.
LaMelo must raise his efficiency
Since joining the league, the criticism around Ball has been loud.
He doesn’t play winning basketball. He’s too carefree. He’s not efficient.
Those are just some of the things his detractors have said.
While many of the complaints thrown towards Ball lacked context, there has always been some validity to them, especially regarding his efficiency.
Ball’s counting stats alone were enough to get him in the conversation, but if he wants to make a leap and be among the NBA’s best players, he has to up his advanced metrics.
Now, if you watch the Hornets, you know the group is a much different team when Ball is on the floor versus off. His playmaking and court vision are as good as anyone’s.
He may take the occasional logo three, but his confidence to shoot from anywhere is effective in spreading out the defense, regardless of whether the shot goes in.
That works for the Hornets, but it harms Ball’s efficiency numbers. It may not be a big deal for him, but it is in the mind of NBA voters.
Last season, Ball had the 31st-best Player Efficiency Rating in the league. That puts him behind all 15 All-NBA selections from this past season.
His 54.6 true shooting percentage is outside the top-100 and, again, behind all the current All-NBA players.
He shoots just over 40% from the floor and 36% from three. Those numbers are fine for a guard with his shot diet, but it’s not All-NBA good.
Ball’s efficiency numbers have remained pretty stagnant throughout his career. There have been peaks and dips, but overall, the numbers stay in the same range.
So, how can he raise them? It really comes down to the team around him, alleviating some pressure and allowing him to take the best available shot.
We saw a lot of that during the Hornets’ late-season win streak. Now it just needs to last an entire season.
The Hornets need to remain competitive throughout the season
During the NBA season, narratives are established early. For the first four months of the Hornets’ 2025-26 season, the narrative was bleak.
Charlotte started the year struggling. Brandon Miller missed extended time after injuring his shoulder in the second game of the season. The depth was stretched thin with players like Josh Green and Grant Williams missing significant time, and the team entered the new year (11-22) overall.
Trade talks around Ball had never been louder as many began to speculate both his and the team’s frustration with the current situation. But then, all the pieces fell into place.
The Hornets got healthy and started taking down some of the NBA’s most fearsome teams. Then came the win streak, followed by a play-in push that saw the team reach the nine seed.
All of that attention was nice, but it came too late to net the Hornets any All-Stars and contributed to Ball’s absence from the All-NBA team.
Had the Hornets been playing like that all year, Ball would have likely gotten more than five votes for All-NBA consideration, and the team probably would’ve had an All-Star.
It will be crucial for the team to stay relevant from the jump next season and compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference. Then some of the individual accolades can start to accumulate.
LaMelo has to stay on the floor
One of the biggest hurdles Ball will have to clear to earn postseason recognition is probably the most obvious.
Injuries have plagued Ball’s career. He’s reached the recently established 65-game threshold for postseason awards only twice in his 6-year long career.
But even beyond that, Ball needs to be on the court longer in the games he does play.
Ball’s minutes restriction was a big talking point the entire 2025-26 Hornets campaign. It gained prominent attention when Ball came off the bench and sat late in games to keep him in line with the organization’s plan.
The minutes restriction worked in keeping Ball on the court this season, but it led to numerous stretches where the Hornets desperately needed the engine of their offense, looking otherwise lost without him.
If Ball can stay healthy enough to fully ease out of his restrictions in 2026-27, his counting stats will go up, his impact will be greater and hopefully, the Hornets will win more games.
Combine all of that together, and you’ve got the recipe for an All-NBA LaMelo Ball season.