15 of 1, this is a silent protest from the three-ball player.

None of today's games were particularly popular, but two matches were eye-opening. The Nets were crushed by the Knicks 66-120; it's hard to imagine that in 2026, an NBA team could score only 66 points in a full game, as if the entire team couldn't shoot.

In another game, the Hornets lost to the Pistons. LaMelo Ball came off the bench and played 22 minutes, shooting 1 for 15, 0 for 10 from three, scoring 2 points with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, along with 2 turnovers and 4 fouls, finishing with a -16 plus-minus. Given the Cavaliers' poor form today, without LaMelo’s shocking shooting slump, the Hornets might not have lost.

It’s rare to see a bench player shoot 1 for 15, but he is LaMelo Ball. The coach has already moved him from the starting lineup to the bench, and if it goes any further, he might get a DNP; at least for now, the two sides haven’t completely fallen out.

Playing 22 minutes with 15 shots, LaMelo basically shoots at will on the court. His only basket came from close range. Everyone knows when your shot isn’t falling, you should attack the paint more, but LaMelo stubbornly kept shooting. More than half of his three-point attempts were taken even a step behind the three-point line.

Of course, you could say he used to make those shots. Just a few days ago against the Lakers, he scored 30 points with 11 assists, shooting 9 of 17 from three, hitting those shots with style and ease. But in the following three games, he shot just 3 for 25 from beyond the arc.

LaMelo has had this careless three-point shooting habit since high school, where his flashy style won him many fans. But after entering the NBA, this poor shooting habit never changed, and no one forced him to adjust it, which has led to him gradually becoming a liability for the Hornets.

Recently, LaMelo was placed on the bench by the coach. Charles Lee explained: "This is what he wanted; he agreed to come off the bench so he could stay on the floor during crucial moments in the fourth quarter to help teammates." LaMelo’s response was: "Something like that."

No star in their prime willingly chooses to come off the bench. Today’s 1-for-15 performance might be LaMelo’s quiet form of protest.

This was LaMelo’s first game coming off the bench since January 30, 2021. He became the first NBA player to score 33 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, while making 7 three-pointers as a substitute. The stats look good, but watching the game, he went 0 for 4 in the last quarter with no points and committed a turnover in the final 10 seconds that directly cost the team the game. This kind of performance is still very “LaMelo.”

This season, he averages 19.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37%, his highest in three years. However, his overall field goal percentage is only 41.4%. In fact, his career shooting percentage has hovered just above 40%, and finishing inside the paint has been a persistent problem since his rookie year.

This results in his effective and true shooting percentages ranking near the bottom of the league. When his three-point shot isn’t falling, the games become quite ugly. Today’s 0 for 10 from deep is just another example of many such games in LaMelo’s career.

Earlier reports said the Hornets would keep LaMelo at least until the end of the season. Putting him on the bench now seems like a test to see how the main rotation performs without him.

LaMelo signed an extension in 2023 that runs through 2029, earning $38 million this season, with raises exceeding $41 million annually over the next three years. Honestly, his trade value isn’t negative yet, but it’s close to that of Trae Young.

Some believe Trae Young has proven himself in the playoffs and demonstrated leadership, which is why the Wizards valued him. LaMelo, however, has yet to appear in a playoff game, and his style makes it difficult to break through under high-pressure situations.

After Trae Young was traded, many posted a photo in the comments showing Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant together at the 2022 All-Star Game, all looking in the same direction.

Who would have thought that four years later, all three would be on the trading block by their respective teams? Trae Young left Atlanta, while LaMelo and Morant’s futures remain uncertain and unstable.