In an alternate universe, and perhaps a favored one by his camp, LaMelo Ball would be leading the New York Knicks with the keys to the offense under head coach Tom Thibodeau. Instead, on Monday, Ball came off the Hornets bench, fresh off a triple-double, and helped his side earn a 109-88 win, handing New York its third-straight loss.

Prior to the contest, Thibodeau, who was apart of the predraft process in which the Knicks were one of the rumored teams to be high on Ball. Ahead of Monday’s game, Thibodeau spoke about Ball and his high IQ that has led to him having so much success early in his rookie season.

“I watched the interview, and of course a lot of film on him and you can see the vision in the way he passes the ball,” Thibodeau said. “It tells you the way he sees the game. That is a gift so when you get that type of player, he makes everyone around him a lot better, and that is what (Gordon) Hayward does as well. But for a young guy to come into the league and play the way he is playing right now, it says a lot about his talent level and that is what makes this team so hard to guard.”

Ball did not have a good shooting night on Monday but still had a massive impact on the game. Ball pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds, setting a career-high on the night as well. He also handed out seven assists, helping him overcome a 3-for-13 shooting night, including going 2-of-6 from 3-point territory.

Ball’s size allows him to impact the game in many ways and is something that Thibodeau also pointed out when discussing how Ball can still improve.

“He is young and is going to get a lot better as he goes, but it is the gift of the way he sees the game and his size,” Thibodeau said. “I think when you have that type of size – same for Gordon Hayward – is that they can see over people, and it is easy for them to make passes to the opposite corner and put pressure on the rim. Those things add a lot, but I think just the poise and that he has had a lot of different experiences that have probably helped him mature, and the way he is playing right now.”