You don't have to be a basketball junky to understand that the Charlotte Hornets are a much better team when their star guard, LaMelo Ball, is healthy and at full strength. It's been quite some time since Ball wasn't dealing with some sort of injury or lingering effects of an ankle,

The NBA is better — and a lot more entertaining — with a healthy LaMelo Ball in it.

LaMelo Ball looked like the superstar that nagging ankle injuries have kept him from being for most of the last two seasons in Charlotte’s opener Wednesday night.