Report: Hornets guard LaMelo Ball doubtful for Saturday’s game vs. Hawks

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, per Shams Charania. He is dealing with both left wrist and left ankle soreness and is expected to undergo further evaluation of the injuries.

He has played in 22 games this season and has averaged 34.2 minutes, 23.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. While he is sidelined, backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr. should see an uptick in minutes. Theo Maledon should also see more minutes per game if Ball misses any sort of time due to the injuries.

Charlotte has gotten off to a slow start this season with a 12-34 record and sitting in fifth place in the Southeast division. They were able to get off a five-game losing streak on Wednesday with a win on the road against the Houston Rockets. Their road trip continues with a game against Atlanta on Saturday, and then the team will head west to take on the Utah Jazz on Monday, January 23 and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, January 24.