LaMelo Ball has been cleared by the Charlotte Hornets to resume basketball activities and is set to return in a little over a week after missing the last month due to a wrist fracture. Getting him back in the lineup will provide a much-needed boost for them as well because they have lost their last six games.
Ball has proven to be âthe head of the snakeâ of the Hornets offense all season long. With the regular season coming to an end, they are going to need Ball back in the lineup for one last post-season push. After recently losing to the Knicks, they are sitting at the eighth spot in the eastern conference standings.
It will be interesting to see how Ball can perform after having the wrist surgery, but he has mentioned he has already started his treatment and is making sure he is comfortable moving it around. Before the injury, Ball was leading all rookies in rebounds, assists, steals, and was second in scoring.
If Ball is able to replicate that type of production, the Hornets should find themselves in a comfortable spot in the tight eastern conference. We have seen how much Ball wanted to be on the court since his injury. Whether it was him tapping his foot anxiously during the 4th quarter of a game or him dribbling a ball while watching, he has been waiting for his opportunity patiently.
LaMelo Ball is back on the court đpic.twitter.com/8p10zmgINN
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 20, 2021
The Hornets' offense has gotten a majority of their points out of half-court sets, but with Ball coming back, easy transition buckets will be made available again due to his ability to push the pace. Running offense out of half-court sets is only effective if you have the right supporting cast to do so and losing Gordon Hayward to injury ruined it for them.
Unfortunately, Hayward is still weeks away from being made available, but the Hornets should be able to ramp up their intensity when LaMelo Ball returns. Also, Ball will get to resume his run at the Rookie of the Year award. Anthony Edwards is said to be the front runner now, but maybe voters will sway back in Ball's direction once they see him back in action.
The Hornets have their work cut out for them to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016. If the playoffs were to start today, they would have been a part of the play-in tournament to hang on to the last spot. However, if they win a majority of their games, they might be able to slide back into the sixth spot that they were in a couple of weeks ago and avoid the play-in tournament all together.
Hopefully, LaMelo Ball has been sipping on Michael Jordan's secret stuff because he is going to need to be at his best to solidify his Charlotte's position as the Hornets march toward the postseason.
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