The Charlotte Hornets kicked off their 2024-25 NBA season with an intriguing matchup against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The Hornets trailed the Rockets 83-76 with just a little over a minute left in the third quarter. However, before, then, starting forward Brandon Miller suffered a concerning injury.

Miller dealt with hip soreness during Wednesday night's game and exited beyond return, the Hornets announced on X (formerly Twitter). Miller ended the contest with six points in 11 minutes, which included a monster dunk during the first quarter:

Hopefully, Brandon Miller's injury is not anything serious and can he make a speedy recovery. The second-year forward comes off a 2023-24 season with averages of 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on a 37.3 percent three-point shooting clip.

Miller's absence from the Hornets' lineup hurts them, but thankfully, they have star point guard LaMelo Ball back for the start of the new campaign. Ball dealt with his own share of injuries in 2023-24, but he looks spry for Charlotte's new start.

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Ball played just 23 games in 2023-24 but averaged a career-high 23.9 points. With roughly four minutes left in Wednesday's Rockets game, Ball scored a game-high 27 points and recorded 10 assists along with five rebounds. He will continue to be vital in Charlotte's quest for improvement.

In mid-October, ClutchPoints' Jerry Donatien revealed one key way Ball can regain All-Star relevance amid his return to the lineup.

“Traditionally, point guards bring the ball up the floor and set the table for their teammates. Ball has also done that in the past and has saw solid success, but with other capable ball handlers, Ball can take a seat at the table and get fed the ball. Having Brandon Miller bring the ball up would be the perfect way to see what off-ball Ball could look like. There's been a few sets in the preseason already that's shown glimpses of what that could look like,” Donatien wrote.

As long as Ball and Brandon Miller stay healthy, there is no doubt Charlotte can earn success with their growing dynamic.