Why this season will be critical for Hornets star LaMelo Ball

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the pressure is on the Charlotte Hornets to have only their second winning season since 2015-2016. The availability and performance of star point guard LaMelo Ball will be paramount for the team to meet that goal.

Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, was the first domino to fall in what feels like a never-ending rebuild for the Hornets.

Charlotte expects Ball, who has averaged 20 points in four NBA seasons, to be the face of the franchise for the next 10-15 years. But this season should show if the 22-year-old is capable of that.

Because of injuries, Ball has missed significant parts of all four seasons with Charlotte. Of the 324 possible regular-season games since he entered the league, he has only played in 184, roughly 57%.

There's no doubt that, when healthy, Ball is one of the more entertaining players in the league. But he has never played more than 75 of 82-regular season games in a season since he entered the league.

Charlotte has made the play-in tournament in two of the four seasons that Ball has played for the Hornets. But those seasons ended in blowout losses against the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks , respectively. Ball was virtually a no-show in both of those games, leading critics to question his ability to show up in the spotlight.

Brandon Miller's emergence as Charlotte's best player during Ball's absence last season puts additional pressure on the Hornets 'MIA star. One more extended stretch of missing games because of injury could inspire Charlotte to trade Ball.

With arguably its best roster since the 2015-2016 season, Charlotte is hopeful to find itself in the playoffs again for the first time since that season. A healthy and productive season from Ball is the key to making that happen.