📩 LaMelo’s All-Star Snub & Rozier’s Investigation: What It Means for the Hornets
It’s been a brutal week for the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball, despite leading all Eastern Conference guards in fan voting, was left off the All-Star roster entirely. Meanwhile, former Hornet Terry Rozier is now part of a federal investigation into an alleged sports betting scheme. For a franchise that just can’t seem to escape chaos, this week was another reminder of the challenges ahead.
🏀 LaMelo Deserved Better
Let’s be clear: LaMelo Ball’s omission from the All-Star Game wasn’t about his numbers. He’s averaging 23.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.1 rebounds, and the players themselves ranked him as the third-best guard in the East. The fans made their case loud and clear, voting him first.
So what happened?
- The Hornets’ 12-34 record torpedoed his chances. Coaches and media voters historically favor players from winning teams.
- Media bias against small-market teams is real. The same national voices who admitted they “don’t watch the Hornets” were the ones ranking LaMelo dead last among vote-getters.
- The All-Star selection process isn’t built for players on losing teams. If the Hornets want LaMelo to get more recognition, they need to win games—plain and simple.
📊 The Hornets are 10-20 with LaMelo, 1-12 without him—that alone should prove his value.
So what’s next? LaMelo has two choices:
1️⃣ Shrug it off and wait for next year.
2️⃣ Knock on Jeff Peterson’s door and demand a roster that actually helps him win games.
🎰 Terry Rozier’s Investigation: A Scandal Brewing?
This story came out of nowhere. According to the Wall Street Journal, federal investigators are looking into whether Rozier’s performance in a March 2023 Hornets-Pelicans game was part of an illegal sports betting scheme.
The game raised alarms because Rozier played just 9 minutes before exiting with a mysterious foot injury. That alone isn’t a red flag, but betting patterns reportedly indicated unusual wagers on his performance.
🧐 Key questions that need answers:
- Did Rozier communicate with gamblers before the game?
- Was this just the Hornets shutting him down for the season, and someone inside leaked info?
- Is this part of a bigger NBA betting scandal?
The NBA already investigated and found no wrongdoing. But if federal prosecutors are still looking into it, the story isn’t over. Rozier’s current team, Miami, says he’ll keep playing—but every injury from now on will be viewed under a microscope.
🔥 Hornets’ Best & Worst Acquisitions Ever
The Sicko Satchel lightened the mood by asking us to rank Charlotte’s POST-2003 best and worst non-draft acquisitions. Here were my picks. Check out the episode for my pre-03 picks.
✅ Best Moves:
1️⃣ Al Jefferson (All-NBA season, led team to playoffs)
2️⃣ Stephen Jackson (Scoring leader on a playoff squad)
3️⃣ Jeremy Lin (Spark plug for the 48-win Hornets)
❌ Worst Moves:
1️⃣ Lance Stephenson (Total disaster, set the team back years)
2️⃣ Gordon Hayward (Overpaid, always injured)
3️⃣ Miles Plumlee (Traded for nothing, symbol of bad management)
📢 The Bottom Line
🔹 LaMelo’s All-Star snub isn’t just about his talent—it’s about winning games. If he wants respect, he needs a better team around him.
🔹 Rozier’s betting investigation could be a nothing-burger or the start of something much bigger—we’ll have to wait and see.
🔹 The Hornets’ history of bad roster moves is part of why they’re in this mess to begin with. It’s time for Jeff Peterson to change the narrative.
The Hornets can’t afford another lost season. If they want to be taken seriously, they need a plan, a direction, and results.
