Report: LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in danger of missing matchup vs. Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell will not suit up in the team’s Sunday matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, but his absence won’t be for injury reasons. Cleveland has decided to rest the 28-year-old after he played in the Cavaliers’ first 14 games of the campaign.

The Cavaliers will likely feel Mitchell’s absence against the Hornets considering all that he’s contributed so far this season. However, Charlotte itself could be very short-handed, as some of its best players are either out or in danger of missing the contest.

LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges will be game-time decisions, and Tre Mann will miss the matchup.

Cleveland will try to improve to 15-0 and continue to build on its undefeated start to the campaign, while a win would make the Hornets (currently 5-7) just one victory away from the .500 mark at 6-7.

Ball has been one of the driving forces behind the Hornets’ decent start to the season, as he’s been on a scoring tear since the campaign started. He’s averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range.

Plus, he’s dropped 25-plus points in each of his last five games played with the Hornets. The last time he finished with a point total lower than 25 came when he scored 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves almost a fortnight ago on Nov. 4.

There’s also an argument to be made that Mann has been the Hornets’ second-best guard so far this season. In a bench role, he’s averaging 14.5 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent shooting from deep. He’s dishing out 3.0 assists per contest to boot.

Bridges has probably played the most underwhelming basketball of the three key players in question. After he averaged 21.0 points per game a season ago, he has seen his scoring average dip to 15.1 points per game on subpar efficiency, as he’s shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from 3-point range.

Cavaliers fans should keep an eye out for updates regarding the statuses of Charlotte’s players leading up to tip.