Charlotte Hornets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (right ankle injury management) will not play on the second night of a back-to-back set for the Hornets this Thursday night when the Hornets take on the Nuggets. Ball played 33 minutes on Wednesday and had 27 points, six assists, and five rebounds against the Lakers. After he sits out on Thursday, his next chance to play will be Saturday in Portland. Mark Williams (conditioning) is also out, so there will be plenty of work for KJ Simpson, Elfrid Payton, Nick Smith, and Seth Curry in the backcourt while Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate will pick up work in place of Williams.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (conditioning) is available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Williams will make his return to the court after missing the final four games before the All-Star break. It was unclear how the Hornets planned to use Williams in their rotation after the trade with the Lakers fell through. Despite that, Williams will get the start on Wednesday. He's expected to have Jusuf Nurkic as his primary backup, which is bad news for anyone who is rostering Moussa Diabate. Fantasy managers who have Williams rostered can go ahead and get him active on Wednesday.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) is available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. As expected, Ball is back in action after missing the final game before the All-Star break. He's not expected to have any limitations which means Elfrid Payton is going to see a reduced role. Payton made a spot-start for Ball during the final game before the break. The assumption is that Payton is going to come off the bench as the primary backup to Ball. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Ball in their lineups ahead of tip-off.

Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (eye) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Diabate is set to return to the court after missing the final game before the All-Star break due to an eye issue. His role in the rotation is a bit unclear right now due to the status of Mark Williams. Diabate finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds during his final game before the break. It seems likely that Diabate will have an increased role in the rotation during the second half of the season. His rebounding ability alone makes him worth looking at in fantasy formats.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (conditioning) is expected to suit up for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The big man missed the final four games before the All-Star break after the trade with the Lakers fell apart due to a failed physical. This is an awkward situation, but it seems like the Hornets are still going to use Williams in their rotation. The 23-year-old has a ton of potential and the only way for him to continue building trade value would be to keep playing. Moussa Diabate has been removed from the injury report and could see a larger role in the rotation down the stretch.