Hornets coach calls out LaMelo Ball over one particular bad habit

James Borrego seems to think that LaMelo Ball looks very much his age in one particular aspect of the game.

After the Charlotte Hornets lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, Borrego, the team’s head coach, called out Ball for his bad habit of getting into foul trouble early in games.

“He’s trying to do the right thing in his mind,” said Borrego, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “He’s trying to make a winning play. He’s trying to help the team going after a basketball or making a steal. But at times he just needs to be solid and get back on defense. Don’t try to get it back every single possession.

“That’s on me to teach him, coach him, hold him accountable,” Borrego went on about Ball. “It’s on him to understand that and not keep making that mistake, especially in first quarters. We can’t get off to a start where he’s getting consistently two fouls to start games and getting him on the sideline. That’s part of his maturity, his growth and that’s on me as well.”

Boone adds that Ball has picked up 40 fouls in Charlotte’s first 12 games and has even fouled out twice. Many of them are unnecessary reach-in fouls that put the Hornets at a disadvantage.

The 20-year-old Ball recently seemed ticked about his inconsistent minutes. But if he simply learns how to play smarter defense without fouling, that could solve everybody’s problems here.

H/T NBA Reddit

Photo: Jul 5, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Basketball player LaMelo Ball in attendance of the New Orleans Pelicans against the New York Knicks game during the NBA Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports