Why LaMelo Ball Isn’t Starting for the First Time Since 2021
For the first time since his rookie season, Charlotte Hornets star rush LaMelo Ball will come off the bench for Thursday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
Veteran Colin Sexton replaced Ball in the starting lineup.
Collin Sexton will start tonight at point guard in the Hornets-Pacers game, replacing LaMelo Ball.
Charlotte is on the second night of back-to-back games and the team is trying to maximize Ball’s availability, according to @rodboone.
LaMelo will come off the bench for the first time since… pic.twitter.com/D54P5I6r6B
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 9, 2026
The decision to start Sexton with Bol seems to be a tactical move The Hornets are playing during the rematch of back-to-back sets, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
“When they face back-to-backs, the team and LaMelo are trying to get creative and want to maximize his availability, league sources told @theobserver. So LaMelo might not start on both ends of back-to-back games so he can be more available in the fourth quarter, I’m told,” Boone shared via social media post on X, an early contest Twitter.
Injuries have greatly limited Ball’s game availability since entering the NBA in 2020. It’s the same story for him in the 2025-26 campaign, as he’s appeared in just 27 of Charlotte’s first 37 games.
Ball is a fantastic player with incredible talents, but the Hornets haven’t taken advantage of the great things he can do on the court because of his struggles to stay healthy and avoid injuries.
With the move, Charlotte, coming off a home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, appears ready to adapt and make an intriguing move to take advantage of Ball’s abilities.
The 27-year-old native of Anaheim, California enters the Pacers game with season averages of 19.5 points, 7.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per outing.
2026-01-09 00:11:00
