Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball hinted he could be back on the floor after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured wrist.
Ball tweeted “extremely blessed” shortly after the surgery. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the No. 3 overall pick would be reevaluated in three weeks, opening the door for a late-season return.
extremely blessed 🕺🏽💕💕
— Melo (@MELOD1P) March 23, 2021
Granted, the Hornets are sure to be cautious with the health of their star rookie. Ball has more than lived up this billing as the third overall selection. He was the Rookie of the Year front-runner, averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds through his first 41 games.
Charlotte is not going to mortgage its future if Ball is not ready to return. But the Hornets sure could use him for the playoff push.
Article Continues BelowThe Eastern Conference is all bunched up. Just 2.5 games separate the fourth-seeded Miami Heat from the 10th-seeded Indiana Pacers. The Hornets (21-21) are just a half-game back of the Heat, but also only a half-game up on the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics for the No. 7 and No. 8 spots, respectively.
Needless to say, Charlotte will be in a bit of a dogfight going forward. The Hornets will likely hope to have Ball back for the end of the season.
Ball was really starting to find his footing in Charlotte's starting lineup. The Chino Hills native averaged 20.1 points, 6.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds in February and had a .606 true shooting percentage in eight games this month.
Ball has been an imperative part of the Hornets' success this season. He could well be motivated to get back on the court if the wrist permits.