I show you how far I've gotten Dog's Ball through Half-Life 2's campaign.

I love the lil fella, much better than that stinky gnome.

Ball (compared to gnome)

= Pros =
-Follows you
-Attaches to Car
-Distracts enemies
-Deadly dodgeball
-kills headcrabs on own
-Is an animated NPC with personality
-Bullet shield (especially with snipers)
-Shoot hoops with them

= Cons =
-Follows closest "enemy"
-Attacked by friendly NPCs
-Dies from water, fire, and explosives
-Collides with NPCclip brush (biggest one)