LaMelo Ball has been simply electric in his rookie season for the Charlotte Hornets. He has been what was promised with Lonzo Ball, and the Hornets were on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. Now, those goals may be in jeopardy, as the LaMelo Ball injury may keep him out for the rest of the 2020-21 season.
What Do the Hornets Do Following LaMelo Ball Injury?
The good news for the Charlotte Hornets is that they still have plenty of young talent with experienced veterans. The former Boston Celtics duo of Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are both more than capable of carrying the load for the Hornets in the Eastern Conference. Many people forget that Devonte’ Graham is coming off of a season where he averaged 18.2 points per game (ppg). Graham’s numbers are down this season, but that can be accounted for due to his sharing point guard duties with Ball himself. Look for Graham’s role to increase for the rest of the season.
Rookie of the Year Race
LaMelo Ball was putting up absolutely ridiculous numbers this season: 15.9ppg, 5.9 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.1 assists per game (apg). He was also shooting 45.1% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. Now, the race for Rookie of the Year in the NBA has opened up in a major way.
Look for Anthony Edwards to be at the top of everyone’s list. The former Georgia Bulldog has been scoring at a ridiculous clip recently, including a 42-point game against the Portland Trail Blazers last week. He has also been popping up on recent highlight reels:
Other notable names to keep an eye on include the number two overall pick for the Golden State Warriors James Wiseman, Immanuel Quickley for the New York Knicks and Saddiq Bey for the Detroit Pistons.
If LaMelo Ball is in fact confirmed out for the season pending his second opinion, he will be truly missed by Hornets fans and NBA fans alike. Not many 19 year olds can do this:
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