Zachary Engberg
2 min read • November 15, 2022
Posted in
The Hornets won their first game in nine tries on Monday in star point guard LaMelo Ball's second game of the season.
Ball suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain in a preseason game on October 10, returned on November 12, and has averaged 16 points, five rebounds, and 7.5 assists during Charlotte's two-game South Florida swing.
The 30-year-old Gordon Hayward suffered a shoulder injury on November 2 and has missed the last six games.
Hayward has been essential to the Hornets' success since he was signed in 2020: Charlotte is 53-48 when he plays and 27-41 when doesn't, and went 6-15 in the stretch after he went down with an ankle sprain in late January.
Hayward's natural successor as a versatile wing, Cody Martin, is expected to miss between four and six weeks after undergoing knee surgery spurred by a left quad injury and lingering knee discomfort.
Kelly Oubre Jr., who has started all 15 games this season due to a litany of injuries, is averaging 20.25 points, seven rebounds, and 2.25 steals in the last four games and has played at least 34 minutes and taken at least 16 shots in all four.
The Hornets have felt the toll of the injuries, sitting at 4-11 with the fifth-worst scoring offense at 108.9 points per game and a 6-9 record against the spread.
Written by Zachary Engberg
