It’s the end of the regular season, and the Charlotte Hornets finally have something to look forward to. Kidding aside, this season has simply been excruciating for fans of the Charlotte outfit. And now it comes to a deflating end with the Hornets never being in playoff contention to begin with. But can they, at the very least, close out the regular season on a high? Well, that depends.

On what? The status of LaMelo Ball, of course! Every time the Hornets have shown any sign of life, it’s been because of LaVar Ball’s youngest son. So now, as the Hornets face their next challenge, the Indiana Pacers, let’s find out if Melo will be backing them up.

Charlotte Hornets Injury Report – Will LaMelo Ball play against the Indiana Pacers tonight?

The Charlotte Hornets’ latest injury report shows one of the major issues plaguing them this season. They’ve had key players going in and out of the squad because of it. And that’s caused them a lot of grief this season. What’s worse is that even as we approach the end, things don’t look any better for them. But onto what you really wanna hear.

LaMelo Ball is on the injury report for the Pacers game. In fact, he is OUT of the lineup for this game as the Hornets are letting him rest up from an impinged right ankle. And this does seem to be the right move for him and Charlotte. Having him play through an injury when there’s really nothing to play for would be a foolhardy move by them.

Joining him on the injury report are Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams. All three of them are OUT of the Pacers game. Mann has not featured in an NBA game since November last year because of his herniated disc. Meanwhile, both Brandon Miller and Grant Williams are having surgery. Miller is having his right wrist ligament repaired while it’s the right ACL for Williams. None of these three will feature in the few remaining games this season.

However, the final player on the injury report could play in the Pacers game. We are talking about Nick Smith Jr. He’s listed as PROBABLE with a left ankle sprain. And whether he plays or not will depend on how he looks pre-game.

Now, let’s see what the Charlotte Hornets team will look like against the Indiana Pacers.

Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers – predicted starting lineup and depth chart

With these many players out, including LaMelo Ball, the Hornets are really shorthanded as it stands. So it will be interesting to see who Charles Lee picks as his starters against the surging Pacers. Here’s our best guess, though:

Now, on paper, this lineup is by no means the worst-case scenario for the Charlotte Hornets. But considering the quality of their opponents, this isn’t ideal, either. The only chance they have is if the Pacers decide to coast for the remaining games and field a second-string lineup since they already qualified for the playoffs.

Regardless, it’s still a long shot. But let us know what you think. Does a Hornets team without LaMelo Ball have the ability to topple the Indiana Pacers?