CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LaMelo Ball was just as thrilled as anybody.
When news first broke three weeks ago about the impending arrival of Isaiah Thomas, an unexpected move by Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak, Ball was among the first people to welcome the 33-year-old pro. He couldn’t wait to have Thomas as his newest teammate.
“Excited for sure,” Ball told The Observer on Monday. “I told you I don’t watch basketball like that, but when it’s on, I always remember. I saw I.T. killing it in the playoffs. I think they were playing Chicago or something. It was around when my momma was sick, too. So I was just going in there, seeing her in the hospital and he’d be playing. So it’d be crazy.
“So a lot of respect just seeing what he did, and how little he is and still doing what he can do and everything that he’s doing. Yeah, it’s just real special.”
The reach of Thomas during his short tenure with the Hornets extends way beyond the nine points and 2.2 assists he’s averaged in the six games he’s logged since coming on board March 2.
He’s also forming a nice bond with Ball and it’s enhancing the star guard’s already tantalizing skill. Thomas is aiding in the 20-year-old blossoming in a variety of ways and it’s an important footnote as the Hornets attempt to power through the season’s home stretch, the latest being Monday night’s matchup with New Orleans at Spectrum Center.
With a deep understanding of the rigors of the league and the battle scars to prove it, Thomas’ voice is well-respected. Ball, like so many of his fellow young teammates, has heeded his advice.
“I feel like on the court, he’s just helped Melo slow down,” Hornets forward Miles Bridges said. “It’s certain plays, Melo, he makes the flashy plays or he tries to force something. But I.T., he’s been talking to Melo, making sure he makes the right play at all times. And off the court, just staying professional. We are young, so not coming late to practice, all that type of stuff. But I.T., he’s just been talking to us about that type of stuff.”
Among the teaching sessions: Being aware of the gravity of things whenever they have the ball. Different situations call for different approaches.
“Just knowing how important the possession is … obviously we want him to push the pace,” Thomas said, “but there are times where we don’t get things three or four possessions. We’ve got to slow it down. Get us in a set that’s going to get the ball moving side-to-side, then attack downhill. So I think it’s easier for him to relate to me because I’ve been in those situations. So I’m coming from a good place and coming from a place of seeing that before and going through what he’s going to experience for the years to come.
“So I fall back on telling him how to play, but I just make sure he realizes, ‘OK, let’s slow it down, let’s see things before it happens.’ Obviously, I watch from the sideline, so a lot of times when you are playing you don’t see a lot of things that somebody that’s watching from the sidelines sees. Any time I can give him a pointer or two and tell him what I see it’s only going to benefit him and benefit the team down the line.”
Besides those timeout pep talks and strategy sessions, Thomas is providing a key assist for Ball in another way that’s probably turned out even better than anyone could have anticipated. He’s been teamed in the backcourt with Ball, a surprise wrinkle that’s been effective.
Since initially unveiling that lineup against New Orleans in their first meeting of the season March 11, Hornets coach James Borrego has gone to it at least once a game. It’s something the tandem enjoys, especially Ball.
He’s all-in when it comes to being on the court with Thomas.
“I actually like it,” Ball said. “It kind of takes me back to my young ways when my brother used to be on the ball. So, getting off the ball for a little, it’s definitely good.”
In part because it takes the defense’s focus off Ball. He doesn’t have to be the main facilitator. That leaves Ball somewhat out of the opponent’s immediate crosshairs because they can’t concentrate on what he’s doing from the moment the ball hits his hands.
It’s yet another thing the two can discuss in detail.
“For me, when I was in those situations, being off the ball didn’t allow the defense to load up on me,” Thomas said. “So for me, I’m telling him, ’Stay off the ball a little bit. I’ll initiate it and then you are coming full steam ahead on the backside going downhill. And that’s hard to put two guys on him or that’s hard for five guys to watch him while he brings the ball up.
“So it just shows the defense something different and makes his attack something different. That just makes him a little more dynamic just because he’s 6-foot-7, the pace he plays at with the skill set he has. I mean, he’s damn near unguardable when he’s able to do both.”
Thomas even had a film session with Ball when the Hornets were in Oklahoma City for nearly three days prior to their win over the Thunder. That was a big moment for the duo in watching action unfold in real time together.
“He’s got all the talent, so I don’t tell him anything about how to play,” Ball said. “It’s just taking advantage of every possession, making sure we get a shot at the basket every time, limit our turnovers. One thing, he’s very special with is his pace. You can’t teach his pace. So what I try to remind him of throughout the game is to continue to push the pace, because that wears down on teams whether we are getting stops or not.”
Thomas is fitting in seamlessly and has rapidly become a part of the Hornets’ inner fabric. The speed at which it happened feels unfathomable.
But not to Ball. He had an inkling of the possibility given the Terry Rozier connection.
“I actually could because the respect was already there,” Ball said. “T-Ro knew him before. It’s better when people just have all known you before, so that respect factor is already there. So I feel like all that is there. So it’s just meshing real good.
“Great dude for sure. People like that, you just love to be around, love to soak up all the knowledge. So, yeah it’s been great.”
