LaMelo

Ball

Ball missed Friday’s game against New York, and now he’s set to be out until at least mid-December. This is a re-evaluation period, so it doesn’t mean that he’ll return immediately after two weeks. Tre Mann, who has been dealing with a back issue, has been diagnosed with disc irritation and will also be re-evaluated in two weeks. That means Vasilije Micic should be the starting point guard for the foreseeable future. He had nine points and eights assists in 31 minutes as a starter on Friday.

LaMelo Ball is sidelined, and Micic will have big shoes to fill after Ball averaged 40/7/8 across his last four. Diabate will replace Taj Gibson as the starting center and team up with rookie Salaun to hold things down in the frontcourt for a team riddled with injuries at the four and five. Expect Brandon Miller to handle a sizable workload on offense.

According to the Hornets, Ball injured his calf during the final sequence of Wednesday’s loss to the Heat. With Tre Mann also out, Vasilije Micic and Seth Curry should play more on Friday. Micic is worth a look in deep leagues where there’s a need for assists, but Ball’s absence leaves a massive hole in the Hornets’ rotation.

Ball has been dealing with a sore right wrist, and it’s fair to wonder if the shot volume has anything to do with it. He put up 35 more shots on Wednesday, surpassing the 30-point mark for the fourth straight game. Given Charlotte’s lack of scorers, Ball will put up many shots, and fantasy managers will take a hit in the field goal percentage category (and turnovers). He’ll make up for that with high numbers in points, rebounds, and assists.

Ball is officially available after the Hornets listed him as probable on the initial injury report. He’ll look to extend his streak of games with 35 points or more to four straight.

Ball doesn’t appear to be in danger of missing Wednesday’s contest after notching three straight games with at least 35 points. The Hornets’ star point guard will have to continue putting up big numbers to keep his shorthanded squad afloat.

Ball has been on an absolute tear offensively, scoring 31 points or more in seven of his last nine games. After going off for a career-high 50 on Saturday, he pumped in 44 more against one of the league’s best defenses. While the seven turnovers weren’t great, Ball’s production has been good enough to minimize the impact of the the miscues.

While some may offer a soft complaint about Ball’s percentages, the Hornets’ growing injury list makes it necessary that he take a lot of shots. He attempted 38 on Saturday, finishing with a career-high 50 points. This was not only Ball’s first 50-point game, but it was also his first with at least 40. The Hornets play four games in Week 6, beginning with the Magic on Monday.

Head coach Charles Lee benched LaMelo at the end of their last game, and the superstar point guard responded the right way. He had one of his best games of the year before fouling out during overtime. It was exactly what you want to see from your star player, and it helped them get a win. Ball continues to be one of the best players in fantasy hoops, and he has been available for every game so far. He only needs to play in seven more games to match his total from last season, though managers certainly have their hopes set much higher.

Ball is $100,000 lighter after the NBA fined him for his comments after Saturday’s loss to the Bucks. As for what he did on the court in Cleveland, the Hornets point guard recorded his second 30-point double-double of the season (October 23 vs. Houston). In 8-cat formats, Ball has been everything fantasy managers hoped he would be, providing top-10 value and not missing a game. The Hornets play three games in Week 5, beginning with the Nets on Tuesday.