Brandon Miller is set to return for the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. And while that is definitely good news for the team, in some ways, it pales in comparison to LaMelo Ball's declaration of his love for the franchise.
The past few days have been quite a whirlwind for the Hive, with the report of Ball's dissatisfaction and the Hornets' openness to hearing trade offers for the point guard immediately being adamantly refuted by both parties. He even expressed his love for playing for Charlotte and his confidence in the group he's with.
Funnily enough, Ball's domination of the airwaves may have resulted in the update about Miller somewhat flying under the radar. But the fact that a star desiring to stay in Charlotte and presumably help it rise from the bottom of the standings should be music to fans' ears.
A double dose of terrific news entering a crucial weekend
For a while, it seemed the Hornets were about to face a back-to-back set this weekend while reeling from an unwanted distraction and with no definitive updates on Miller.
After having lost a season-high four straight games, Charlotte is likely looking to get back on track by notching a win against either or both the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Its prospects didn't look promising when the rumor of Ball's frustration surfaced, and Miller was still thought to be nursing a shoulder injury. However, with two of the team's best players healthy enough to suit up and the floor general publicly committing to the organization, pulling off at least one dub is certainly doable.
It also helps that the Clippers have likewise been struggling lately. They have the same record as the Hornets and have lost nine of their previous 10 contests. In a way, the timing of Miller's recovery couldn't have been better, as LA has been hit hard by the injury bug and, aside from the losing skid, will be on the fifth leg of its seven-game road trip on Saturday.
But perhaps the more important development for Buzz City is that we will finally see Ball and Miller play together again on Saturday. It will only be their 42nd game as teammates, which has not been a positive sign for the Hornets.
Hopefully, the Hornets can pick up the win and enter the Sunday matchup in Atlanta with some momentum on their side. They might need it because there is a possibility that the pair will sit out the Hawks tiff, given the nature of their injuries.