Just when fans thought it couldn't get worse for the Charlotte Hornets, they found out that the team will be without LaMelo Ball for its NBA Cup battle against the New York Knicks. The star is set to miss his first game of the 2024-25 season due to left calf soreness.
As such, the Hornets are down eight men, including five of six of their top scorers this campaign.
Charlotte would likely want its best player to be on the floor as much as possible. After all, he represents the squad's best chance of winning any given night. Unfortunately, it seems he sustained the injury near the end of the Hornets' loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
LaMelo Ball should use the downtime to get back to 100 percent
Mark Williams, Nick Richards, Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, and Tre Mann are among those who are still sidelined, and it doesn't look like any of them are coming back soon, especially Grant Williams, who is out for the season.
Missing a lot of bodies has prompted the coaching staff to rely on Ball a ton. The good news is that the 2022 All-Star has risen to the challenge. He is second in average points (31.1) and 3-pointers (4.7) in the league while dishing out 6.9 assists per game.
Without a reliable shot creator outside Ball and Brandon Miller, the coaching staff had to play the youngster 38.8 minutes per contest in the past three matches. He's at an age where he can still handle such a significant workload. However, we have to keep in mind that he is coming off two injury-ravaged campaigns, which saw him sit out 106 of a possible 164 games.
Moreover, this isn't the first time the 2021 Rookie of the Year was included in the Hornets' injury report. So, he has had to nurse ailments throughout the season. A bit of rest should allow him to recover and get his body right.
The timing couldn't be better because Ball would be able to evade a physical bout against the Knicks. Not that he can't handle it, but as mentioned, his health may not yet be in its optimal state. And besides, Charlotte has virtually been eliminated from the in-season tournament, so it's not as if the team has something big to play for on Friday.
Some might be wondering how the Hornets will cope without their floor general. His teammates, particularly Miller, Vasilije Micic, and probably KJ Simpson, will have no choice but to step up as the ball handler and distributor. If they cannot, that should serve as a further wake-up call for the front office to address their playmaking troubles.