Hornets Bench LaMelo Ball in Back to Back Games

The Hornets will stagger LaMelo Ball’s role in back-to-back sets to "maximize his availability," Rod Boone reports. Charlotte may have Ball skip starting duties in consecutive games so he can be fresher in fourth quarters; he came off the bench Thursday after starting Wednesday, finishing 15-7-7 on 7-of-20 shooting. The move is rare for a star but aims at preserving a 24-year-old who has missed large chunks of past seasons. Merlin sees Charlotte treating Ball like a fragile talisman, preserving his late-game magic while leaning on Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Knueppel for early offense. With Ball averaging 19.5/7.9/5.1 and the Hornets 13-24 and four games out of the play-in, balance between health and rhythm will decide whether the gamble pays off.