Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors. The young guard continues to deal with a right ankle sprain. The team is hopeful to get Ball back on Monday against the Sacramento Kings. His absence leaves the Hornets thin at the guard spot. Dennis Smith Jr. and Theo Maledon will hold streaming value while Ball and Terry Rozier (ankle) are out.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) won't play on Sunday against the Hawks, as expected. The 21-year-old is working his way back from a sprained left ankle suffered in the preseason, so he may need a few more games off before he's ready to return. With Terry Rozier (ankle) doubtful, Dennis Smith Jr. may enter the start lineup. Smith has averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals while shooting 80% from deep this season. Although he's not a consistent scoring threat, his defensive prowess could make a difference for category managers looking for swipes.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the team's first game on Wednesday. The young guard has been recovering from a sprained left ankle since he tweaked it in the team's preseason game last week. There still hasn't been a firm timetable set for his return. Ball and James Bouknight's absences will be big as the team takes on the Spurs on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should stay tuned in to see when Ball could return, as the team announced they will give further information when they see how he reacts to rehab and treatment.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) will not travel with the team to Philadelphia for their final preseason game. He was forced to exit the game on Monday after spraining his left ankle during the third quarter. The severity of the injury is still to be determined, but the 21-year-old guard received treatment on Tuesday morning and will undergo imaging later in the afternoon. This move to hold him out of a meaningless preseason game shows that the Hornets are going to be cautious with their young star guard. Fantasy managers should keep tabs on this as more news comes out.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) was forced to exit early during Monday's preseason contest against the Washington Wizards. The young guard suffered a left ankle sprain in the third quarter and didn't return to the contest. Before leaving, Ball had nine points, six rebounds, and three assists while shooting 2-of-10 from the floor. The severity of the injury is unknown right now. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for more information on Ball over the next few days.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has announced that he will change his jersey number from No. 2 to No. 1 for next season. The 20-year-old All-Star hinted at this jersey change at the end of last year. Following the team's play-in game loss to the Atlanta Hawks, he stated, "I ain't never supposed to wear 2 again in my life." Ball turned in a remarkable sophomore year in 2021-22, averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, 2.9 three-pointers and 1.6 steals per game. He should be taken near the end of the first round or at the start of the second round in fantasy drafts this fall as he could have an even bigger year in store for 2022-23.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball scored a game-high 26 points in the team's 132-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. It wasn't a very efficient shooting night for the second-year guard as he went 7-for-25 from the field, including 4-for-14 from three-point land. He racked up seven assists, five rebounds and a steal while committing three turnovers. Ball had a fantastic second year in the NBA, building off his strong rookie campaign. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 three-pointers and 1.6 steals per game this year. Despite the blowout loss on Wednesday, the Hornets have a bright future ahead with Ball as the franchise's centerpiece.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball packed the stat sheet during Thursday's victory over the Magic, compiling a game-high 26 points, to go along with nine assists, eight rebounds, and four steals. Ball went 4-for-10 from behind the arc, as he continues to improve his long-range shooting: since the All-Star break, the 20-year-old has shot threes at a 41.4% clip. With at least nine assists in five of his last nine appearances, Ball's play is crescendoing at the right time as the Hornets prepare for the Play-in Tournament next week. With their seeding not yet set, Ball is likely to continue logging consistent minutes in Friday's contest vs. Chicago.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball dished out a career-high 15 assists in the team's 125-114 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. He also tallied 20 points, five rebounds and three steals. He struggled a bit with his shot in the game, as he hit just one of his eight attempts from three-point range and shot 8-for-18 from the field overall. He also had six turnovers in the contest. The next game for the second-year guard will be on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball did all he could during Wednesday's loss to the New York Knicks. The young guard finished with 19 points at halftime. Sadly, no one else on the team was able to score more than that through the entire game. Ball finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 39 minutes of play. After a rough February, Ball has turned it around and is playing much better lately. His fantasy value continues to be on the rise and he could be a possible first round selection in fantasy drafts next season.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (illness) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics. He was unable to play on Monday due to a non-COVID related illness. Kelly Oubre Jr. will rejoin the rotation as well on Wednesday. He has missed the last four games while following the league's health and safety guidelines. Fantasy managers should make sure Ball is back in their lineups on Wednesday. Oubre has been playing well enough lately to be worth a look in most formats.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was extremely close to his third triple-double of the campaign on Wednesday, finishing a 116-108 victory over the Pacers with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He added one steal and had four turnovers in 34 minutes with 8-for-13 shooting from the field. LaMelo has been balling out all season, but there have been some hiccups and one of them was in a recent match against the Suns, who are getting ready to take on the Hornets again on Sunday. Phoenix's defense can be very suffocating and Ball didn't cope well with it on Dec. 19, shooting just 2-for-12 from the field during a nine-point effort.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball bounced back from a nine-point effort with 21 points in Monday's loss to Utah, shooting 8-for-20 from the field with a 3-for-7 effort from outside. He logged a double-double by getting 11 assists, and Ball's work also included six rebounds and one block with four turnovers. He played 33 minutes before fouling out. Ball had an awful time against Phoenix on Sunday but quickly found his flow again. Unfortunately, he'll have only one more game this week, with the Hornets traveling to Denver for a Thursday night meeting. The Nuggets have pretty mediocre defensive numbers against opposing points guards, which could help Ball to a big performance.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball returned to the lineup with a team-high 27 points, four rebounds and five assists in Friday's 125-116 loss to Portland, shooting 11-for-17 from the field with a 3-for-5 mark from outside. He logged 29 minutes in his comeback game and also posted one steal and two turnovers. This was only the second appearance of the month for Ball, who has been forced to spend time on the sidelines because of the health and safety protocols. He returned in fine form, and Charlotte's young star will try to shine next against Chris Paul and the Suns on Sunday.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has been cleared to play in Friday's contest vs. the Blazers, marking his first game action since Dec. 1. Ball has delivered near All-Star production through his first 24 games, averaging 20 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per outing, having emerged as an elite fantasy asset in just his second season. His return to the mix balances out the Hornets lineup, with many players set to take a step back offensively from prior gaudy outputs. Working in Ball's favor is a matchup against a Portland defense that is tied for the fifth-most points per game allowed (111.2) this season.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is listed as probable for Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He has been sidelined recently while following safety protocols. Although, it sounds like Ball is finally ready to get back on the court. Fantasy managers can assume he'll fill his normal role and can put Ball back in their starting lineups. Cody Martin will lose value and minutes and won't be as useful of a streaming option anymore with Ball returning.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is questionable to play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Ball has cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols and was able to get in some practice time with Charlotte's G-League team, but he may need a little more time to get his conditioning back. If Ball does return, expect Cody Martin to take a big hit to his fantasy value.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been cleared to return and was assigned to the G-League. He'll join Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee while they all build up their conditioning after being sidelined due to the league's COVID-19 safety protocols. Once he returns, Ball will slide immediately back into the starting five. Until then, Terry Rozier and Cody Martin will see minutes in the 30 range. Rozier is the much better option between the two and has plenty of value while Ball is out.

Charlotte Hornets guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier are expected to miss several games. Both players have entered the league's health and safety protocols. That being said, Ish Smith and Kelly Oubre Jr. should be asked to play significant roles while they're sidelined. The Hornets are going to be shorthanded, so both players should be worth rostering and possibly starting in all formats. Oubre is the better option between the two, but the Hornets are going to be without multiple key players. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if either player is available.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball nailed eight triples and shot 12-for-22 overall from the field en route to a career-high 36 points in Wednesday's 127-125 loss to Milwaukee. He missed a fourth consecutive double-double by one assist and collected five rebounds and three steals with one block and seven turnovers in 41 minutes. Ball's efficiency and scoring numbers have been a bit low lately, but he will have gotten a nice confidence boost from Wednesday's game, and that should help him to find his rhythm again. He'll face Trae Young and the Hawks next. Ball struggled with 5-for-18 shooting in the first matchup of the season between the two teams, but Atlanta generally doesn't do well defensively against opposing point guards.