While the New York Knicks are climbing the Eastern Conference standings, teams like the Hornets have been stuck at the bottom. Charlotte isn’t the worst team in the conference as that honor currently lies with Detroit, but the Hornets could be in that spot by the time the regular season comes to an end.
The Pistons were dealt a tough blow in December after former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham underwent season-ending surgery on his shin. Detroit is 12-39 in games played without Cunningham this season, which has been one of the primary reasons the Pistons are a few games back from the No. 14 Hornets. That could change based on the latest news, though.
After dealing with a couple of different injuries already this season, LaMelo Ball fractured his right ankle in the third quarter of Charlotte’s win over Detroit on Monday. He’ll be out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
LaMelo Ball headed back to the locker room after awkwardly falling on this play. pic.twitter.com/wirzYaHCZN
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 28, 2023
Hornets star LaMelo Ball out for remainder of season after fracturing ankle
Charlotte has a 7-20 record in games played without LaMelo Ball. With the Hornets having 17 games left to play in the regular season, the odds of them securing the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft have increased.
It’s no question that whichever team is lucky enough to secure the No. 1 pick via the draft lottery in May will select Victor Wembanyama. While ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has speculated that Wembanyama’s camp most likely wants him to wind up in San Antonio, it’s looking more and more like he could end up in the Eastern Conference, whether it be with the Hornets or Pistons.
Detroit has had success building through the draft, while Charlotte has struggled to remain relevant. Drafting Ball with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft was a good move for the Hornets, but the team hasn’t been able to build around him. The 2022 All-Star is signed through the 2023-24 season and based on what the future has in store for Charlotte, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ball on a new team sometime in the next couple of years.
Drafting Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in June would certainly be a huge boost for Michael Jordan and the Hornets. Truth be told, it would be scarier to see Wembanyama on the Pistons given the solid, young roster that they already have. That’s a scenario that Knicks fans shouldn’t want to see unfold.
Better yet, let’s hope that Wembanyama will go to the Western Conference.
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