On Friday evening, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Portland Trail Blazers in North Carolina. For the game, the Hornets could be without their best player, as LaMelo Ball is on the injury report. The 2022 NBA All-Star is averaging 29.

Portland is playing their best basketball of the season. Winners of three in a row, the Blazers are led by Anfernee Simons who is averaging 18.2ppg and Shaedon Sharpe contributing 17.7ppg. Scoot Henderson is improving by the game. The 2 nd -year pro is dishing out 5.3 assists per game and scoring 12.3 points nightly while shooting 35% from deep.

While some may be ancy to back LaMelo Ball's scoring output against Portland, Douglas Farmer breaks down why that isn’t the best approach ahead of tonight's clash in Charlotte.