Trae Young and Dejounte Murray present a tough challenge for injury-troubled Charlotte Hornets, will LaMelo Ball be up for it?
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The Charlotte Hornets were without their All-Star point guard when they took on the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night, looking for the second straight victory to start their 2022-23 campaign.
LaMelo Ball, Michael Jordan’s #2 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, has been struggling with his ankle since he last took the court against the Wizards in the pre-season and went out having sprained his left ankle and playing just over 20 minutes in the game.
So the 21-year-old prolific guard has not seen any action on the court for the last 12 days. But will he be on the court against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday evening in the real question at hand?
LaMelo Ball will miss the game against Trae Young’s Hawks
The 6’7 point guard who averaged well over 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game last season, is one of the players to watch out for this season.
But his fitness is going to play a big role in it because he hasn’t been fully fit in the first two seasons and has started this one with an injury in a crucial spot for a point guard who expects a lot out of his ankles.
On Sunday when they take on the Hawks in State Farm Arena at 5:00 PM EST, they will again be without the face of their franchise, while Terry Rozier, who is averaging team-high 23.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 8.5 assists remains doubtful.
What are the chances of the youngest Ball brother and his Hornets making it to the postseason this year?
While LaMelo’s team did not get any big-name addition in the off-season, the first-time All-Star will be looking to follow his amazing personal season with a better season for his team.
The Hawks snatched away his team’s first chance to make a Playoffs appearance for the first time in many years last season, and Trae Young with the addition of Dejounte Murray by his side, will most probably again be Charlotte’s biggest test to qualify for the postseason.
Having to play without Miles Bridges who also had a terrific last season and helped keep this budding rivalry in the regular season at balance (2-2), the Hornets are already quite weaker among the two.
If both Melo and Rozier were available for this one we could have seen the trailer of what’s to expect this season. These two teams will probably be fighting for the Play-in spots, with Hawks having a significantly higher chance to even make it to the Top 6.
Also read: Is Andrew Wiggins Aaron Wiggins’ Brother? Exploring Relationship Between the Two Wiggins in the NBA
Let’s hope Rozier plays this one and Melo gets back before they meet next time in December.
