Last March 20th, Charlotte Hornets’ star rookie LaMelo Ball suffered a wrist injury after a horrible fall in against the LA Clippers.
The injury has him sitting out indefinitely, which means the Hornets will miss his 15.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.6 SPG contribution to the team.
It’s no secret that Ball is a big reason as to why the Charlotte Hornets have been very competitive this season.
With him being on the sidelines due to injury, fans and critics doubted whether the Hornets can continue being competitive for the rest of the season.
Some said they wwould fall off without Ball, but the Hornets are showing that the absence of their talented young floor general is not a problem. At least, for now.
They’re currently fourth in the East with a 24-22 record under their belt.
In the last five games that Ball’s been out, the Charlotte Hornets have won four.
They beat the San Antonio Spurs (100-97), Houston Rockets (122-97) and the Miami Heat (110-105) in their first three wins without Ball.
In their most recent game, the Hornets defeated the Washington Wizards, 114-104.
Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward led their squads in that game.
Rozier finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Hayward had a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds with six assists. Devonte’ Graham contributed 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals and Cody Zeller had 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.
Rozier has been on a tear in the last five games, averaging 24.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 5.6 APG. Graham is right behind him with 18.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 4.8 APG and Hayward is putting up 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 4.2 APG in the last five games.
As a team, the Hornets have adjusted their game in general, especially in terms of ball movement and pace.
| STATS | Pre-Ball Injury | Post-Ball Injury |
| Pace | 100.84 | 94.33 |
| Passes per game | 306.5 | 301.0 |
| Assist Ratio | 19.2 | 18.3 |
| Fastbreak Point per game | 15.1 | 10.8 |
| Assists per game | 27.1 | 24.8 |
The Hornets have been pretty good without Ball so far but how long can they keep this up this kind of game? They come up against the mighty Nets next, who are also dealing with injuries.
What do you think about the Hornets? Do you think they’d still make the Playoffs without LaMelo? Sound off in the comment section!
