Charles Lee raves about LaMelo Ball's willingness to be a playmaker despite his hot night

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the best teams in the league in 2026. LaMelo Ball is one of the driving forces behind their success because he is scoring at a high level and also serving as an elite playmaker. This was quite apparent in their Sunday game against the Washington Wizards.

Ball had one of his best performances this season with 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. He was scintillating throughout the game, making 10 three-pointers to lead the Hornets to a dominant win. Despite his hot hand, he always had control of the game because he was still being a floor general.

Ball is ready to keep being a high-level offensive player

Everyone knows that Ball is the Hornets' biggest star. He is the flashiest player on the team, who gets the highlights with his passes and superb offensive impact.  Head coach Charles Lee loves what he keeps seeing from Ball, as they have a good coach-leader relationship. 

Outside the Hornets' circle, people see Ball as a suboptimal leader. That has not been the case this season because LaMelo has been impressive with his offensive impact and leadership as the floor general.

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In the game against the Wizards, no one would blame Ball if he kept shooting. In fact, he had a fantastic 99-second stretch that saw him make four three-pointers in a row. It was one of the most absurd offensive moments of the season, which showed that Ball can light it up when he's on fire.

Lee was glad to see his star guard play to his highest level. However, not only was he shooting the lights out, but he was also generating looks for his teammates, which impressed Lee even more.

"Being as hot as he was, most times guys continue to take bad shots, heat-check shots, and he continued making the right play and got other guys a couple of shots during that stretch... A ton of growth from a lot of people," Lee said after the impressive win.

As long as Ball is playing this way, it will be hard to keep the Hornets out. They are banging on the door as one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference. Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel are this team's core players, and they are still growing day by day.

More NBA news: 

• Kon Knueppel talks three-point success as he nears all-time record
• Kon Knueppel continues to be a perfect player for Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee
• Former NBA All-Star and champion picks Kon Knueppel as his Rookie of the Year over Flagg
• Giannis Antetokounmpo praises Kon Knueppel: 'One of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen'
• Brandon Miller is impressed with the Hornets' performance without suspended teammates