Even in the dead of winter, things promise to heat up on the East Coast as the Charlotte Hornets take on the Brooklyn Nets. Neither team is having the best run in the NBA this season. The Nets are the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference while the Hornets are the 14th. Although Hornets fans will be more concerned about their star and one of the few bright spots for this season, LaMelo Ball.

One of the primary reasons behind their poor form this season is injuries. A lot of key players on both rosters have suffered injuries at crucial junctures. Even now, both teams have submitted injury reports that will alarm you if you’re a fan. So let’s see what they’re working with. And more importantly, let’s see if LaMelo Ball will be playing.

Hornets vs Nets Injury Report – Will LaMelo Ball play against the Nets tonight?

Well, Hornets fans, your worst fears may have come true. In the latest injury report submitted by Charlotte, Lamelo Ball is marked OUT with a left ankle sprain. Moreover, Mark Williams and Tre Mann will also miss the Nets game. Although Mark Williams is being rested to manage his injury, he is OUT of Wednesday’s game. This means the Hornets will miss 3 of their 5 highest scorers this season against Brooklyn. Here’s the full injury report they submitted:

• LaMelo Ball – OUT (Left Ankle; Sprain)
• Josh Green – OUT (Right Foot; Soreness)
• Tre Mann – OUT (Disc; Irritation)
• Cody Martin (Sports Hernia)
• Brandon Miller – (Right Wrist; Tendon Repair)
• Tidjane Salaun – OUT (G League)
• Grant Williams – OUT (Right ACL; Repair)
• Mark Williams – OUT (Left foot tendon; injury management)

Scary list, huh? Well, Shams Charania reported that there is some “cautious optimism” regarding LaMelo’s return. His availability is being considered on a day-to-day basis. But what’s more worrying is that with Josh Green and Cody Martin out, the Hornets lack any depth in the shooting guard position. 

The Hornets’ opponents, the Brooklyn Nets, are not faring any better though. In fact, things might be worse for them. The duo of Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas are OUT of the game on Wednesday. They have been the only saving graces in the Nets’ abysmal 2024/25 season.

Johnson is set to be re-evaluated in a week, whereas Cam Thomas is close to a return. The Nets will need to hold out a little longer without their two best players. Here’s the full injury report submitted by them:

• Bojan Bogdanovic – OUT (Left Foot; Injury Recovery)
• Noah Clowney – OUT (Left Ankle; Sprain)
• Cameron Johnson – OUT (Right Ankle; Sprain)
• Maxwell Lewis – OUT (Left Tibia; Fracture
• De’Anthony Melton – (Left Knee; ACL Tear)
• Cam Thomas – OUT (Left Hamstring; Strain)
• Dariq Whitehead – OUT (G League)

Brooklyn will have to rely heavily on their new signee D’Angelo Russell to carry them against the Hornets. Given both teams are struggling with injuries, it’ll be interesting to see how they line up. 

Hornets vs Nets – predicted starting lineups and depth chart

Missing the likes of LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams won’t be easy for the Hornets. Here’s how they may lineup given they’re missing such crucial players:

The Nets faithful will be praying that Cam Thomas returns to the lineup ahead of Wednesday’s game. But here’s how they may lineup if he can’t:

Both the Hornets and the Nets are in situations that mirror each other. They’re the bottom seeds in their conference and are missing key players. This is why the game on Wednesday is a little too close to call. So, make sure you don’t miss it or our coverage before, during, and after the game.