Ball (finger) is available for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers.
Ball was listed as questionable but didn't appear in any danger of missing the second half of Charlotte's back-to-back set. The All-Star point guard played 36 minutes during Saturday's 115-114 win over the Bucks, posting 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Warming up Sunday
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Coach Charles Lee said Ball (finger), who's listed as questionable, will warm up with the intention of playing in Sunday's game against the Cavaliers, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ball and Miles Bridges (knee) going through their normal pregame routines is a positive sign for their availability, but they likely won't be officially cleared until right before tipoff at 6:00 p.m. ET. Ball played 36 minutes during Saturday's 115-114 win over the Bucks, posting 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Iffy for Sunday
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Ball is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers due to a left finger sprain.
Ball is in jeopardy of missing his first game of the season, and he presumably picked up the finger injury during the first leg of the back-to-back set in the win over Milwaukee on Saturday. If Ball is unable to play, Tre Mann (back), Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic are candidates to receive an uptick in playing time.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Clutch free throws vs. Milwaukee
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Ball registered 26 points (7-20 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 11-11 FT), nine rebounds and six assists over 36 minutes in Saturday's 115-114 win over the Bucks.
Ball struggled with his efficiency from the floor Saturday, but he came up clutch in the fourth quarter when he scored 15 of his 26 points, including the game-winning free throws with just seconds remaining. Since Nov. 1, Ball has averaged 30.1 points, 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals over 33.8 minutes per game.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Excellent effort not enough
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Ball posted 35 points (13-27 FG, 6-14 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds and seven assists across 35 minutes during Tuesday's 114-89 loss to the Magic.
Ball was a one-man wrecking crew for the Hornets in this game, but his efforts were not enough, and the Hornets still lost by 25 points. Ball is enjoying an outstanding start to the campaign and has been one of the top guards in fantasy, regardless of the format. Aside from scoring at least 30 points in his last three games, he's putting up averages of 29.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest in 11 appearances and 33.6 minutes per tilt.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Explodes offensively in OT loss
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Ball racked up 38 points (13-30 FG, 6-18 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 41 minutes during Sunday's 107-105 overtime loss to the 76ers.
Ball did it all for Charlotte in Sunday's overtime battle, leading all players in the contest in scoring and threes made while pacing the Hornets with a team-best assist total and a team-high-tying pair of steals in a well-rounded performance. Ball set a new season high in scoring and posted his sixth game with at least 30 points, including his second straight. Ball has now connected on at least five threes in six outings, including in three consecutive appearances.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Goes for 31 points Friday
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Ball provided 31 points (10-29 FG, 5-18 3Pt, 6-8 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Friday's 103-83 victory over the Pacers.
Ball and Brandon Miller combined for a staggering 60 points in this win -- that's 28 fewer points than the entire output from the Pacers offense. Even though Miller has been grabbing headlines regularly, Ball has been nothing short of spectacular this season. The star playmaker has surpassed the 30-point mark in five of his nine contests to date while also averaging 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Will play Wednesday
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Ball (ankle) has been upgraded to available and will play Wednesday against the Pistons.
Ball was initially deemed a game-time call for this contest, but the upgrade to available suggests the star floor general shouldn't have any limitations Wednesday. Ball is averaging 28.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game this season, and his presence will give the Hornets a huge boost on both ends of the court.
Ball (ankle) is dealing with general soreness in his right ankle and is a game-time decision for Wednesday's game versus Detroit, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ball battling soreness in his surgically repaired right ankle isn't ideal, but he appears to be dealing with only minor wear and tear. Coach Charles Lee noted that Charlotte playing three games in four nights to start November took a toll on Ball, although there is still a chance that he suits up. Cody Martin (illness) is probable to play while Tre Mann's usage could skyrocket if Ball is unavailable.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Iffy for Wednesday
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Ball is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pistons with right ankle soreness.
Ball was a late addition to the injury report after the morning shootaround, suggesting he tweaked something there. Given Ball's history of ankle issues, this is something for fantasy managers to watch very closely. If Ball is unable to play Wednesday, Tre Mann would likely see a big usage rate spike, with Vasilije Micic potentially becoming more involved as well.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Game-high 36 points vs. Boston
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Ball contributed 36 points (15-26 FG, 6-12 3Pt), four rebounds, six assists and three steals across 37 minutes before fouling out of Saturday's 113-103 loss to the Celtics.
Ball was the leading scorer of Saturday's contest, and he did most of his damage from deep as he connected on six three-point shots for the second time this season. Through the first six games of the 2024-25 campaign, Ball is averaging 30.2 points, 6.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals over 34.0 minutes per game.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Stuffs stat sheet in loss
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Ball chipped in 19 points (7-20 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, six assists and two steals over 32 minutes during Wednesday's 138-133 victory over the Raptors.
Ball's shooting line wasn't particularly efficient, but fantasy managers can live with that, especially when factoring in how much he brings to the table and how versatile he is on a game-to-game basis. This was the first time the star guard didn't reach the 20-point mark, but he's still enjoying an impressive start to the campaign with averages of 28.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in his first four contests.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Fast start continues
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Ball (bruise) racked up 27 points (9-22 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 7-8 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 37 minutes during Saturday's 114-106 loss to the Heat.
Ball struggled from deep and failed to crack the 30-point threshold for the first time through three games. However, it was still a productive outing for the young point guard, who's averaging 31.7 points, 7.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game thus far. Whenever Ball is healthy and on the court, he's among the most prolific fantasy producers in the NBA.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Available for Saturday
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Ball (bruise) is available for Saturday's game against the Heat.
The Hornets have upgraded Ball to being available, meaning the star guard should handle his regular workload. He should have a prominent role on offense with Brandon Miller (hip) out.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Iffy against Miami
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Ball is listed as questionable for Saturday's game versus the Heat due to a tailbone contusion.
Ball appears to have suffered his injury against Atlanta on Friday and could miss Saturday's contest. If Ball is ultimately ruled out, Vasilije Micic, Tre Mann and Seth Curry (knee) are candidates to receive increased playing time.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Hits nine threes before fouling out
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Ball notched 34 points (10-20 FG, 9-14 3Pt, 5-6 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 29 minutes before fouling out of Friday's 125-120 loss to the Hawks.
Ball's night could have been even bigger had he not fouled out late in the fourth quarter. Still, his nine three-point makes is a career high, and the 2020 first-round pick has opened up the 2024-25 campaign with back-to-back 34-point outings. Ball and the Hornets will head back to Charlotte to host Jimmy Butler and the Heat on Saturday.
Ball had 34 points (10-20 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 10-10 FT), eight rebounds, 11 assists, one block and one steal over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 110-105 win over the Rockets.
Ball looked every bit the superstar, carrying the Hornets to an impressive road victory in the season opener. Often talked about for all the wrong reasons, Ball will be looking to put his injury history behind him. Despite wearing ankle braces, he didn't appear limited at all, a welcome sight for anyone who took a chance on him in drafts. He should be an elite source of points, threes, assists and steals, while also converting at a high rate from the free-throw line.
Ball posted 34 points (10-20 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 10-10 FT), eight rebounds, 11 assists, one block and one steal in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 110-105 victory over Houston.
Playing in his first regular-season game since January 26, Ball didn't have to shake off any rust, knocking down 50 percent of his attempts and falling two rebounds shy of a triple-double. He was integral to Charlotte's comeback effort, tallying 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in the second half, alone. Assuming Ball can stay healthy -- he's played 58 games across the last two seasons -- he'll be one of the most valuable point guards in fantasy basketball.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Good to go Tuesday
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Ball (rest) is available and in the starting lineup for Tuesday's preseason game versus the Knicks.
Ball will return to action Tuesday after sitting out Charlotte's previous preseason contest for rest purposes. The 23-year-old guard appears healthy heading into the regular season after making just 22 regular-season appearances in 2023-24 before missing the remainder of the campaign with an ankle injury.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Won't play Thursday
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Ball (rest) won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Grizzlies, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The Hornets are letting Ball rest, so Vasilije Micic will start at point guard. Ball is expected to see minutes in the upcoming preseason games before the start of the regular season against the Rockets on Oct. 23.
