No player in the NBA shoots more three pointers per game than LaMelo Ball. The Charlotte Hornets rank third in the league in three-point attempts, behind only the Celtics and Bulls, and Ball is a big contributor to that statistic. In the 26 games that he has played in so far in 2024-25, the 23-year-old point guard is putting up 13 attempts per, a full two shots more than anyone else in the NBA.
LaMelo Ball Leads The NBA In One-Legged Three Pointers
And of the 339 threes that he has hoisted, 53 of them have been one-legged. Described as “the difference in ankle height of 6 inches or more at the time of the shot release”, no one has tried the odd-looking shot like LaMelo Ball has. His 53 attempts of the unique release are 46 more than any other player has taken so far this season, as Trae Young is next on the list with 7.
While it may not seem like a shot that would yield high percentages, Ball has proven that the one-legged three pointer is a shot that he practices. Of the 53 attempts, he has converted 21 of them, good enough for a 40% clip. That is better than his overall three-point percentage of 33.6% for the season, meaning that the shots he takes off of one leg are converted more often than the ones in traditional form.
Leaders in one-legged 3PA this season. pic.twitter.com/VwpOcCDJT5
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) January 16, 2025
Young has made 3 of his 7 one-legged attempts, and Victor Wembanyama has converted 2 of 6. Tyrese Haliburton and LeBron James are the only other NBA players that have attempted 5 or more.
While they haven’t had much success in terms of wins and losses, the Hornets’ game plan is clear. After LaMelo Ball, the person who attempts the most three pointers per game is his teammate Brandon Miller. The second-year wing is hoisting 10.9 attempts per contest, slightly ahead of Steph Curry’s and Jason Tatum’s clips. That gives Charlotte the top 2 players in the league in terms of attempts, with a combined 23.9 per.
Ball and Miller are the only two players in the league that have hoisted 290+ three pointers while playing in 30 or fewer games.
The long-distance shooting hasn’t exactly equated to a winning style of basketball. The Hornets rank 27th in the league in three-point percentage (34.1%), and have the second-worst offense in the NBA by way of points per game. They have a record of 9-28, with only the Washington Wizards posting a worse mark so far.
