Most of the juice has been zapped out of the Charlotte Hornets in the wake of LaMelo Ball’s season-ending ankle surgery, leaving many fans in countdown mode for the final games to get crossed off the calendar.
It’s hard for the Hornets to drum up a whole lot of excitement at this juncture considering they are speeding toward yet another fruitless campaign devoid of a playoff appearance, a drought that’s creeping up on half a dozen years. But look closely enough – albeit it with a lens boasting the power of the Hubble Space Telescope – and subtle, small things are worth keeping a watchful eye on over this final month.