Charlotte Hornets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (wrist) will not play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. He picked up a questionable tag on the initial injury report and has been ruled out of the contest ahead of tip-off. Ball's absence should allow Vasilije Micic to shine again. The former EuroLeague star has made 11 starts with Ball out this season, averaging 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Portland allows the fourth-most fantasy points to point guards, so this is also a fantastic matchup for Micic.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (back) has picked up a questionable tag for Friday's matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. In their last game on Wednesday, Bridges clocked 34 minutes on the court and posted 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, and one steal. If he's unable to suit up for this one, Cody Martin (probable - groin) should see some extra time, and new addition Josh Okogie could see some big opportunities. Okogie could even turn into a long-term option for a lot of leagues since he'll likely see more minutes than recent seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (wrist) popped up on the injury report as questionable for Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He's dealing with a right wrist sprain at the moment and could come down to a game-time decision. Through 40 games, the Hornets are just 11-29, so they could opt to go the cautious route given Ball's injury history so far. If he doesn't suit up, Nick Smith Jr. and Vasilije Micic are both solid streaming options. The former has averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.4 threes per contest over the last seven games when he started to receive regular playing time.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (knee) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls. As expected, Williams is ready to go after being listed as probable on the injury report. Williams has been playing some excellent basketball recently with two straight double doubles coming into Friday's contest. He finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds during his last game and really has no competition at the center spot. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Williams back into their lineups for Friday's slate.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (knee) is probable for Friday's matchup with the Bulls. The 22-year-old missed the first 20 games of the 2024-25 campaign because of various ailments. However, he's only missed two games since his return. Not only that, but Williams is having the best year of his career, averaging 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Of course, anything can happen regarding his availability. But with Nick Richards now in Phoenix, Taj Gibson, averaging only 3.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in eight starts this season, will likely take over at the five if Williams can't suit up.