The talking heads that tried to talk themselves into liking the LaMelo Ball trade from the Charlotte Hornets' perspective can't be too pleased right now. The Minnesota Timberwolves are finding a rhythm, even without Anthony Edwards, and it's largely because Ball is one of the best players in the league at generating quality offense.
Meanwhile, in Charlotte, the Hornets rank dead last in the NBA in offensive rating. Yeah, dead last. Of course, they have been dealing with injuries, but even with their guys back, the team can't score. They pride themselves on being an elite shooting team, but they shoot. As a team, they're shooting 29.6 percent from 3-point range.
It looks like the team that got the best player may be the early winner of the deal after all. Who would've thought?
The Hornets don't look the same after trading LaMelo Ball
It was always a puzzling decision to see the Hornets move on from Ball after their most successful season in the past decade, with him being the engine of it. They were the number one offense in basketball after the turn of the calendar year, and he made everyone around him better.
Sure, there's the "sell high" narrative that people speculate that that's what the Hornets did. They didn't think his health would hold up, or they didn't think the success would translate to the playoffs. Either way, it's clear they severely undervalued how important he was to the success of the team.
Without him, Brandon Miller has been pretty inefficient for the most part. Yes, he's averaging a career-best 22 points a night, but you would expect that with his level of usage. He's also shooting an incredibly poor 35.9 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Naz Reid, whom the Hornets acquired from the Wolves, has also been up and down. He's coming off his best outing of the season with 28 points in a loss to the lowly Brooklyn Nets. Still, he's also been inefficient and inconsistent. He even got benched by Charles Lee in a game for not meeting standards. Reid is shooting the lowest percentage of his career since his rookie season at 42.3.
The trade is looking fantastic for Minnesota
Oftentimes, when a trade with a lot of draft compensation is made, the media overreacts to it. People act like the Wolves gave up a treasure trove of draft picks along with Reid for Ball. The reality is they gave up Reid, one unprotected first-round pick in 2033, three first-round pick swaps (that won't convey), and some second-rounders.
Ball has come in and instantly transformed the Wolves' offense. Even if he's having an off night shooting the ball, his playmaking gets everybody else on the roster so many open looks. It's not a coincidence that Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, and Jonathan Kuminga are all having career-best seasons so far. They're obviously all talented, but Ball's playmaking makes it easier.
The Wolves would be pretty doomed if they ran back last season's roster and Edwards sustained the injury, but this new-look roster still gives the Wolves a chance to win every game without him. They just handed the Rockets their second loss of the season.
On behalf of the Wolves community, thank you to the Hornets for agreeing to this trade.
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