"Where's the pride" - Ex-Lakers guard calls out LaMelo Ball as Hornets suffer 4 straight blowout losses

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets suffered a 36-point defeat at the hands of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The defeat was the fourth straight game that Ball and the Hornets have lost by 14 points or more, including a 54-point beatdown against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lou Williams is a well-respected former NBA player after winning the Sixth Man of the Year award three times throughout his 17-year career. Williams played with seven different teams, including the Clippers, Lakers, Hawks and Raptors after being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

On Fanduel TV's "Run It Back," Williams spoke about LaMelo Ball and the state of his team on Wednesday's show. He criticized Ball's leadership, questioning if he has the desire to compete any more this year.

"We're not giving them excuses," said Williams about Ball and the Hornets. "This is led by the same person that we were rooting for two or three weeks ago to be an All-Star."

Williams expanded on his point, saying that while LaMelo Ball is the leader of the Charlotte Hornets, the whole team needs to be held accountable for their recent stretch:

"If you lose a game by 53, then you follow that up with a 42, then you follow that up with a 36?" questioned Williams about the team. "Where's the pride? Everybody has to share responsibility for how bad this is."

Williams isn't the only NBA expert who has been critical of LaMelo Ball and the Hornets this season, but his calling out of the team's struggles brought to light just how poorly things have gone for them this year. Ball has been specifically critiqued for putting up gaudy numbers and still being unable to lead his squad to wins.

How can LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets recover from rough season?

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets have seemingly embraced the fact that the team isn't going to be competing for anything significant this season. They have struggled with injuries to Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, robbing the young trio of the time needed for them to build chemistry.

The Hornets (14-43) currently hold the third-best odds to land the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, a pick that is almost assured to be used on Duke's Cooper Flagg. The best plan for the Hornets at this point might be to secure a top prospect, enter next year healthy and hope Ball can maintain his level of play.