How Did LaMelo Ball Do in His First Game Back?

Charlotte's All-Star guard picked up right where he left off.

It's not going to be perfect at the start, but LaMelo Ball being back on the court is a huge positive for the Charlotte Hornets. Last year, we saw how his absence completely disrupted the flow of the offense and it also forced guys to play out of position, such as Terry Rozier.

LaMelo is more than just a playmaker. He's an All-Star caliber guard who offers incredible length, quickness, creativity, and a bevy of other things that many who play the position just simply can't do.

Last night, Ball returned to actual game action for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on February 27th against the Detroit Pistons. Over the last couple of weeks, we've heard how well he's moved around and how he is back to 100%. But until you go out there and get some minutes in a game, you just don't know. 

One preseason game in and LaMelo passed with flying colors.

"I think he's getting more and more in rhythm," said head coach Steve Clifford. "Compared to say five days ago, it's night and day. He's a hard worker and he worked hard all summer he just wasn't able to do live stuff. He's only been doing contact for a few days and he's making great progress."

Ball finished the night with a near-double-double in just 22 minutes, registering 17 points and seven assists on 5/13 shooting (2/7 3FG). He didn't record any steals, but he did a pretty good job on and off the ball by playing with better positioning and not picking up bad fouls. 

What's even better news is that he played extraordinarily well in his first-ever game with ankle braces. As he mentioned during media day, it's going to be a little bit of an adjustment, but it didn't hinder his play Tuesday night.

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