The Charlotte Hornets have finally provided an update on Brandon Miller, stating that he indeed sustained a left shoulder subluxation and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Nearly at the same time, it was announced that LaMelo Ball is questionable to play against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.
Charlotte began the 2025-26 campaign on a hopeful note after an offseason highlighted by the addition of several high-quality players. Sure, it made some mistakes, but at least it made significant progress on addressing last year's unwatchable offense.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long before the injury bug reared its ugly head again in the Queen City.
Hornets are down on their luck with the injuries
It's tough to stay optimistic about Miller's chances of coming back quickly from his ailment. History has shown that it can take at least three weeks to fully heal from a partial shoulder dislocation. Some have even taken months to minimize the risk of a re-injury. And given his age, it wouldn't be surprising if the Hornets decide to take the safest route possible in his recovery, even if it could mean months with him on the sidelines.
Fans may be open to that idea, especially because Miller has a bright future ahead of him. However, another lengthy period of not seeing him forced to take a pause in his path to becoming a bona fide star is certainly a woeful development.
The Hornets faithful didn't even have enough time to process the news about Miller before the report of Ball's status emerged. Sadly, the 2022 All-Star has apparently yet to fully recover from the ankle impingement that almost prevented him from suiting up in the team's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday and eventually sidelined him against the Utah Jazz the following day.
Charlotte turned out to be fine without its leader in average points, rebounds, assists, and steals against the Jazz, dominating the matchup despite some minor setbacks. Perhaps the squad can replicate the feat against another struggling opponent in the Pelicans if it indeed has to play without Ball. However, besides getting the win, it's also vital to continue establishing chemistry and determining which lineups are effective when he is on the floor and after he is subbed out.
Hopefully, the star point guard can return as soon as possible and as healthy as possible, because seeing both him and Miller on the injury report might be unbearable for some fans who have grown weary of watching the Hornets suffer due to injuries.