Overview
- Active for Thursday’s game, LaMelo Ball did not start for the first time since his 2020–21 rookie season against Indiana.
- Collin Sexton opened at point guard in Ball’s place.
- Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer reported the move is a back-to-back strategy designed to maximize Ball’s fourth-quarter minutes.
- Ball is managing a surgically repaired right ankle after missing time this season, and he was not given a morning injury designation.
- The decision has prompted renewed media speculation about his future ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, with no firm indications of a deal.