Oct 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives to the basket against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

LaMelo Ball's ankle injuries continue, status vs. Minnesota is in question

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 9:21 AM ET

Does it ever end? That's the question Charlotte Hornets fans constantly ask themselves. The injuries are non-stop with this franchise over the last handful of years, and it all began this year, with Brandon Miller leaving in the first half of game two.

Now, LaMelo Ball's name has popped up on the injury report and is listed as questionable for tonight's home contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, thanks to ankle impingement.

It is important to keep in mind that the Hornets are entering the first night of a back-to-back, so even if Ball is ruled out for tonight's game, it could be more of a precautionary thing. The fact that he's not automatically ruled out is a good sign. That being said, his injury history, particularly with his ankles, is enough to have Hornets fans thinking the worst possible outcome.

What do the Hornets do if Ball is ruled out tonight?

Tre Mann would be in line to get his first start of the season, and you can probably assume that the Hornets may be leaning towards keeping Ball on the bench tonight after having recently transferred KJ Simpson back to Charlotte from the Greensboro Swarm.

The starting five could end up being Mann, Sion James, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Charles Lee likes to have a scoring punch off the bench with Collin Sexton, and with the way James has played at the start of the season, it gives Lee that ability to bring Sexton in off the bench and have a more balanced combination of lineups.

Unfortunately, Mann is off to a brutal start offensively, hitting just 28% of his shots from the floor and 22% from three-point range, which is quite the difference from his red-hot start a year ago, where he looked like a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate. He's still shaking the rust off after having missed the majority of last season with a back injury.

The Hornets and Timberwolves will tip things off tonight at approximately 6 p.m. ET, so the final injury report will drop around 4:30.