The Charlotte Hornets will miss their top playmaker, LaMelo Ball on Saturday.
According to the Hornets' official injury report announcement, Ball will get the night off. The team is ruling him out due to right ankle injury management.
In addition to Ball, the Hornets will play without Josh Green, Liam McNeeley, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams. KJ Simpson is considered probable on Saturday.
Lately, Ball has been out of the Hornets' lineup. After a November 1 matchup between the Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, he went on to miss the next five games for Charlotte. During the 122-105 loss against the Timberwolves, Ball struggled with his shot, making 36 percent of his field goals, scoring 18 points. He also logged eight assists, and came down with seven rebounds.
For the first time in two weeks, Ball was cleared to return for the Hornets on Friday night. Charlotte faced the Milwaukee Bucks for NBA Cup action. In a game that went into overtime, Ball was available for 27 minutes. During that time, he made 33 percent of his shots from the field, scoring 16 points. He logged a double-double with 10 assists and also added three rebounds to his stat line.
The Hornets came up short against the Bucks. They fell apart in overtime, losing 147-134. With that loss, the Hornets dropped to 4-8 on the year.
In seven games this season, Ball has posted averages of 22.3 points, 9.9 assists, and 7.1 rebounds. He's shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc, and making 41 percent of his field goals.
The road doesn't get any easier for the shorthanded Hornets on Saturday, as they are scheduled to face the 12-1 Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Hornets went 2-3 in the absence of Ball recently. Although they got off to a decent start to the year, it's clear that the Hornets are still in the rebuilding tier in the Eastern Conference. They'll need consistency with better health in order to get back on track, but for the time being, the team's top playmaker is easing his way back to becoming a full-time player again.
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.