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Evaluating LaMelo Ball's first game back with Hornets since injury

Analyzing Ball's performance in his return to play in preseason action.

Austin Leake

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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23-year-old star LaMelo Ball was back in action on Sunday night versus the Knicks in the Hornets' first preseason game. It had been 254 days since Ball had last seen the court in live game action, which was back in late January. Although he missed a significant chunk of time, he was still the LaMelo Ball everyone knows and loves when healthy.

The Defense

There has been an emphasis for Ball to show improvements on the defensive side of the ball this summer and he seemed to have done just that as he had great attention to detail on defense throughout his minutes on the floor. In fact, on the first play of the game, Ball blocked OG Anunoby's layup attempt leading to a layup of his own on the other end. Below is a clip of Ball slipping through screens and being attentive on defense.

Charles Lee also mentioned in his postgame presser that Ball took the challenge of guarding Jalen Brunson to start the game, which shows Ball's leadership and willingness to get better on defense.

We talked about this isn't just a preseason game, this is a hell of an opportunity to get better and to play someone else...He wanted that matchup at the beginning of the game...We've talked a lot about him embracing the individual pride and it was it was on display tonight."

- Charles Lee on LaMelo Ball's defense

Offensive Impact

Ball didn't waste any time on the offensive end, as he scored or assisted on the Hornets' first 11 points of the game. His impact was very noticeable early on as he created opportunities for his teammates and for himself in transition, and did a great job of pushing the pace early. For the game, Ball either scored or assisted on 37 of the Hornets' 90 points through three quarters. It was pretty clear how much the Hornets had missed Ball's ability to push the pace, play-make, and create shots for himself.

Ball finished the game with a team-high 18 points and seven assists in his 19 minutes of play, while also connecting on four three-pointers on 10 attempts. In the first half, Ball had 10 points and got off to a little bit of a slower start, but in the third quarter, Ball scored eight quick points before being subbed out to rest to give other opportunities to the end of the bench.

Highlights vs. Knicks

Any Setbacks?

The main talk since last season has been about Ball's ankles and whether he could stay healthy, which led him to begin wearing ankle braces in training camp. Ball was seen wearing his new ankle braces last night and it seemed to not have any negative effect on him on the game, which was very positive to see.

Overall Grade: A-

It had been since January the last time Ball put on his shoes in a game versus an opponent that wasn't his own team and he looked just like himself. His 18 points and seven assists were the bright side, along with his willingness to compete on the defensive end. The reason he doesn't get a full A+ is that he did have four turnovers and was a little inefficient at 6-14 for the game from the field.
A couple of the turnovers were simply just miscommunication as the team is still getting fully adjusted to each other. However, no need to nitpick as LaMelo Ball is back and it couldn't be better for Hornets fans and the team to see him back on the court and healthy.

Ball is expected to take the floor again on Tuesday as the Hornets matchup against a division opponent in the Miami Heat at the Queen City at 7:00 p.m EST.

MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI

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Hornets' rookie Tidjane Salaün highlights challenges in transition to the NBA

Hidden Gem? Charles Lee hints at Josh Green's role with Hornets

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Austin Leake
AUSTIN LEAKE

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