Why is LaMelo Ball not playing against Nuggets? Hornets star's absence from game explored

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is ruled out for their game on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets due to right ankle injury management. Ball and the Hornets are coming off a 100-97 win over the LA Lakers on Wednesday. The one-time All-Star led the team with 27 points, five rebounds and six assists on 38.5% shooting from deep.

According to the injury report submitted by Charlotte, there are a few other players who have been listed as out against the Nuggets. Guard Tre Mann is out due to disc irritation with his back. Second-year player Brandon Miller will miss Thursday's bout with a torn right wrist ligament.

Additionally, Josh Okogie (left hamstring strain), Grant Williams (torn ACL) and Mark Williams (return to competition conditioning) are out. DeQuan Jeffries (right knee soreness) is listed as questionable against Denver.

Ball has the highest usage rate on the team with 37.1. Not having him on a second night of a back-to-back could make it a daunting task to try and beat the Nuggets. While the Hornets also won't have Mann in the lineup, Elfrid Payton could take over the starting point guard spot.

Not having Ball against the Nuggets could take a significant toll on how the team will perform. The 6-foot-7 guard is responsible for a lot of things with the team. This season, the point guard is averaging 27.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists on 41.8% shooting from the field.

For the second half of the season, the Hornets have 29 games left. However, the team is 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 14-39 record. Given the team's state, it looks like Charlotte won't qualify for the playoffs this year.

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets targeted Luka Doncic on defense

LaMelo Ball took advantage of Luka Doncic's weak defense in their game against the Lakers. However, it wasn't just Ball, as even Miles Bridges executed the same play: find Doncic and attack.

Their strategy was helpful, especially during the crucial moments of the fourth quarter. Ball often forced the switch on the Slovenian star to go one-on-one. It also didn't help that Los Angeles didn't have a prime rim protector like they used to. This caused the perimeter defense (Doncic) to be overwhelmed by the aggressive tactic of Ball and the Hornets.

In the fourth quarter, the point guard gave life to his team as he had 12 points on 50% shooting from the field. Ball made the most out of the chances he had against Doncic and it paid off with a win at Crypto.com Arena.