33-39, 43-39, and 27-55. That is how the Charlotte Hornets have finished the regular season in the three years of the LaMelo Ball era.

The team wasn’t quite ready to compete during his rookie year and this year the injury bug hung over them like a dark cloud. As soon as one guy came back, another went on the shelf for multiple games, sometimes weeks. LaMelo Ball couldn’t escape the injuries either, suffering three ankle injuries, limiting him to just 36 games on the seaso

It’s possible a season full of bad luck turns into an enormous amount of good luck when the draft lottery takes place on May 16th. And boy, do the Hornets need it. Charlotte can’t afford to lose a player like LaMelo. Pairing him up with a Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson would give the organization something to build around and a sense of direction. But if the Hornets don’t get any luck from the ping-pong balls and don’t make any serious moves this offseason, it could result in another challenging season. For a player as talented as Ball, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, you have to put a plan in place that shows the organization has a clear path to becoming a contender if you want him to stick around. Head coach Steve Clifford knows it, too.

When asked if winning next year is critical to keep him around, Ball replied,

This was the first time LaMelo has said anything other than, “I love it in Charlotte and want to be here,” which is important to point out. At the same time, he uses phrases like “day-by-day” regularly when asking questions and fans shouldn’t automatically interpret it in the literal sense.