LaMelo Ball is back and he’s already making highlight plays for the Charlotte Hornets early in their game versus the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

In the early minutes of the first quarter, Ball threw an 80-foot scoop pass to teammate Miles Bridges for the easy layup. The rookie was definitely missed after being sidelined due to a wrist injury in the past month. 

The Hornets are thankful that Ball is back, especially now where they continue to make a push in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Ball and his team are currently in eighth place—just two games away from the Miami Heat. The Hornets can still avoid the play-in tournament but that means they have to keep winning games and hope the teams above them (Heat and the Boston Celtics) drop some of their games. 

The Hornets have a couple of important games in the next few days. They will be going up against the Heat, Pistons once again, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic. Ball’s return will hopefully boost this young squad, which has arguably become every NBA fan’s second favorite team. 

That’s the LaMelo Ball effect—he makes the game so exciting to watch. This 80-foot scoop pass is one of the many thrilling plays he’s made this year. In addition, LaMelo Ball's stats are also impressive as his 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game were severely missed when he was out. Thankfully, he’s back for the Hornets and is expected to help them make one last playoff push. 

The Hornets last made it to the playoffs in 2016. They’ve only made it to the playoffs a total of 10 times in their last 30 seasons.