LaMelo Ball’s stats say he’s one of NBA’s best

LaMelo Ball is the 33rd-best player in the NBA, according to The Ringer s new top 100. He s 35th on ESPN s list, and 41st for CBS Sports. None of which jibes with the numbers he has produced. Last year, Ball averaged 25.8 points, 9.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds in 36 minutes of court time — one of just four players to average at least 25-8-6. The others: Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic. Those three are unquestioned top 10 players in the Association, with Jokic and Doncic among consensus top five. Ball led the NBA s top offense last season in Charlotte, and he personally had the best offensive rating of any player not with the Denver Nuggets. You could argue there was no better offensive engine in basketball last season than Ball. So, why the lack of respect? Frankly, Minnesota s addition of Ball this offseason has received mixed reviews. Yes, the offense will be explosive. That s widely recognized. But there are questions about whether the Timberwolv