Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball gets his first NBA start Monday against the Miami Heat.
Ball moves into the starting lineup 21 games into his career, after veteran guard Terry Rozier was ruled out with a sprained right ankle. Rozier suffered the injury late in the first half of Saturday’s home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
“He’s obviously been a starter on our team. He’s played against starters and he’s played against bench guys. This isn’t anything new to him, something he hasn’t seen,” coach James Borrego said, when asked about Ball’s next step.