Evaluating LaMelo Ball's return to the Charlotte Hornets' starting five

In his return to the lineup after missing five games with an ankle impingement, LaMelo Ball looked like...LaMelo Ball. And that is great news for the Charlotte Hornets.

It took LaMelo some time to find his sea legs in Milwaukee, but throughout the course of his 27 minutes on the floor, the hallmark's of Ball's dynamic game shined. Those hallmarks continued to be accentuated by his budding partnership with Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel.

LaMelo and Kon decimated the Bucks with one of Charlotte's favorite actions: a guard-guard screen at the top of the key.

LaMelo and Kon picked up where they left off

Charlotte spammed the LaMelo/Kon action in the second period, but its success was predicated on how Ball started the contest.

Late in the first quarter, Ball came alive following a cagey start. After dishing six first quarter assists, LaMelo cashed two long-range triples inside the last 1:07 of the quarter that kept Milwaukee honest. His limitless range was unaffected by his time off the court and it put the fear of god into the Bucks' defense.

Because Ball was knocking down his jumpers, Milwaukee did everything they could to stay glued to him on the perimeter. That's why Kon got busy in the second quarter.

Charlotte going to work with their guard-guard screening actions.

The synergy between Kon and LaMelo is an absolute joy to watch. It’s a beautiful thing to pair two high feel, high IQ players together in actions like this. pic.twitter.com/WIhBQ36IXF
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) November 15, 2025

On both of these possessions, Kon's defender stuck with Ball to force the rock out of his hands, allowing Knueppel to slip into open space and effectively disect Milwaukee's defense in a four-on-three situation. And due to K2's Einstein-level IQ, he's going to make the right decision on these plays more often that not.

That's what having Ball in the lineup does to a defense. He needs to be guarded everywhere within the half court stripe, and even if he isn't making a gargantuan statistical impact, his mere presence opens up the floor for his teammates.

As a whole, LaMelo looked solid. He made some flashy passes (including a sweet no-look dime off of one foot that ended in a first quarter Collin Sexton three-pointer), he attacked the basket with vigor, and he showed a concerted effort off-the-ball on defense as well.

Giannis gets good positioning on LaMelo Ball, but you have to applaud Ball for being physical on this box-out.

Good stuff that won't show on the stat sheet. pic.twitter.com/aTt4fROj16
— Richie (@richierandall) November 15, 2025

Ball's return to form is huge for these Hornets. The rookie class is punching above their weight, and adding a healthy LaMelo, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Green to the burgeoning core will make for some fun basketball down the stretch of the season.

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