Early on in the season, LaMelo Ball appeared to be on the right track in terms of possibly being named an All-Star for the second time in his career. Then, the young star went down with an ankle injury at the end of November, an injury that has forced him to miss Charlotte's last 20 games. Ahead of Friday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Hornets upgraded LaMelo's status to questionable, giving a glimpse of hope that he could be ready to return to the court. Currently 8-27 on the season, Charlotte desperately needs their best player back. This has led everyone to ask the question of: Is LaMelo Ball playing on Friday night vs. the San Antonio Spurs?

LaMelo Ball status vs. Spurs

LaMelo Ball is close to a return to the court for the Hornets, as the team gears up to take on Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers.

Through the early portion of his career, LaMelo Ball has proven to be nothing short of the cornerstone of his franchise. The Hornets have a very special player at the point guard position, yet injuries have stood in the way of Ball making a true impact in the Hornets' rebuild. Last season, Ball only played in 36 games and he has only played in 15 games so far this year.

On the verge of returning from his ankle injury, Ball is expected to return on Friday against the Spurs after participating in morning shootaround, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Ball is still listed as questionable to play on the team's injury report.

Despite going 5-10 with him on the court this season, it is very clear that the Hornets need Ball's playmaking and natural scoring abilities. In the 15 games he has played, Ball has averaged 24.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range.

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The growth LaMelo has made in such a short time is quite tremendous, especially considering that he has not been a part of a Hornets team that has gone to the playoffs. Given where they currently stand in the Eastern Conference, it is hard to envision his potential return sparking a true playoff push.

If something happens in pre-game warmups and Ball is unable to return on Friday against the Spurs, Terry Rozier will continue to see the highest workload on the team as the featured guard. Bryce McGowens, Ish Smith, and rookie first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. would also continue to see their minutes rise.

So, when it comes to the question of if LaMelo Ball is playing tonight vs. the Spurs, it appears as if the All-Star guard will be able to return for the Hornets and take the floor for the first time since November 26.