David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
LiAngelo Ball is making the most of his opportunity with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA summer league already.
While the Hornets lost 93-86 to the Portland Trail Blazers in their summer league opener, Ball came off the bench to finish with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes.
He shot 5-of-8 from three-point territory, while the rest of the Hornets collectively were 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.
After entering the game in the first quarter, Ball dialed up from deep at the 9:49 mark of the second frame for his first bucket of the game.
The shooting didn’t stop from there.
In the third quarter, Ball certainly earned this assist that was finished off by Nick Richards.
While his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo, have carved out NBA careers for themselves, LiAngelo hasn’t had a professional breakthrough following his abrupt departure from UCLA in 2017.
“I don’t know,” Ball told the Charlotte Observer‘s Jonathan M. Alexander of his road so far. “I control what I can. That’s not in my hands. So every time I get the chance to play, I just go my hardest, and hopefully it’ll work out.”
One strong performance in summer league doesn’t guarantee Ball will make Charlotte’s final roster, but it likely ensures he’ll get plenty of run when the Hornets are back in action Monday against the Sacramento Kings.
His hot shooting from deep should be encouraging to the coaching staff, too, after the team finished 13th in the league in three-point percentage last season (36.9 percent).
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