LaMelo Ball made his return to the court on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, marking the first time this season that all five of the Charlotte Hornets’ starting players were on the floor together.
Ball had been sidelined for the previous seven games due to a strained calf.
The Hornets had planned to start Ball with Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Josh Green, and Mark Williams at the beginning of training camp. However, Williams was injured at the start of the season, and both Miller and Bridges missed time due to injuries. Then, Ball got hurt, and the Hornets went 1-6 without him.
Before the injury, Ball was playing at an All-Star level, averaging 31.1 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game.
With the Hornets sitting at 7-18, they will need everyone to contribute if they hope to get back into the playoff race. They were in 13th place in the Eastern Conference before Monday’s game.
Ball shared that he had been working on improving his shot and studying how different defenses have played against him while he was on the court, trying to learn how to respond to them.
“It’s always great getting guys back,” Ball said. “I’m excited to play for real.”
When asked about his expectations for playing with the full group again, Ball said, “It’s been a minute, so we’ll see.”
Ball is expected to benefit from having Williams back, as it will allow for more pick-and-roll chances.
“He’s 7-foot-2 and he can move, all of that type of stuff,” Ball said. “So that is great having Mark back.”
The 76ers were without Joel Embiid, who is recovering from a right sinus fracture and will be re-evaluated in a week. Rookie Jared McCain was also out due to a torn meniscus that required surgery.
