LaMelo Ball out again in Charlotte Hornets’ loss to Pacers. Will he play vs. Lakers?
Rookie star Brandon Miller scored a career-high 35 points and reminded the Charlotte Hornets what their franchise might one day look like.
But Sunday in the Spectrum Center, despite Miller’s valiance, was still a reminder of what the Hornets are presently missing — and that’s who head coach Steve Clifford called “one of the most creative players in the world.”
LaMelo Ball.
“We gotta learn to trust the pass more, trust each other,” Clifford told reporters after his team’s 115-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers. “You know, that’s part of how we have to evolve. But we’re playing without one of the most creative players in the world in Melo. Terry obviously creates a lot of shots. And Gordon.
“So when you get used to playing a certain way, (it’s tough). Now we just have to just flick the switch a little bit. Move the ball, move our bodies a little bit more. And we have more than enough offense on the floor to play well for four quarters.”
When asked, Clifford said he had “no idea” if Ball would be ready to play Monday.
“He was really sore today,” he said. “So I don’t know.”
Beyond the career-year production Ball has provided Charlotte this season while he’s been healthy — and besides the star power the daring passer and smiley 22-year-old provides, too — losing him presents a few questions for the Hornets.
Among those questions: Who will play at the point?
Clifford elected to start Ish Smith on Sunday, and the veteran turned in three points, four assists and three rebounds. The Hornets’ two draft picks this year — Miller and Nick Smith Jr. — also played some at the 1. Miller notched a career-high in points, yes — fueling a third-quarter run that shrunk the Hornets’ deficit from 24 points to 12 — and also poured in six rebounds and 10 of the team’s 18 free throw conversions.
Clifford said Miller initiated the offense well when called to do so, particularly after Ish Smith and Nick Smith picked up three first-half fouls.
As for Miller himself:
”I think it’s all about my teammates boosting my confidence just to go out there and play any position,” said the rookie, who also became the first rookie in franchise history to tally 35 points and five 3s in a game on Sunday — and also the first rookie since Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson to have multiple 20-point streaks of at least four games in a season, per the team’s game notes.
This lack of backcourt depth is a relatively recent development. Team leader and leading scorer Terry Rozier was traded last month for Kyle Lowery and a 2027 first-round draft pick. Cody Martin was out with a knee injury Sunday, too, despite starting the last six games. And that’s without mentioning the calf injury that’s sidelining winger Gordon Heyward indefinitely.
This is just the latest ankle injury — right ankle soreness, to be precise — to impact Ball in his special but injury riddled four-year career. In January, in fact, he returned to play after six weeks of being sidelined, spawning a short-lived but exciting run of Hornets basketball.
But even with LaMelo gone, there will be enough star power in the building on Monday night. Laker stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been mostly healthy this season and each played on Saturday in their 113-105 win over the New York Knicks — and they’ll bring their Top 5 transition offense with them.
“Obviously we know they’re really good in transition, and how good they are (in general),” said PJ Washington, who poured in 22 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes. “But for us, just doing the simple things will help us a lot.”
As for getting key guys healthy, particularly Ball?
That’s a lot simpler said than done.
This story was originally published February 4, 2024 at 9:36 PM.
