Suns vs. Hornets Wednesday NBA injury report, odds, props: Kevin Durant set at 21.5 points in Phoenix debut

While the Hornets begin life Wednesday without their best player in young point guard LaMelo Ball, who is done for the season with an ankle injury, the Phoenix Suns will be in town and they'll enjoy the debut of trade acquisition Kevin Durant – will Charlotte team owner Michael Jordan be on hand to watch the future Hall of Famer? Durant is given an over/under point total of 21.5 at FanDuel and the Suns are -10. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Durant for 22.4 points.

I'm a bit surprised that ESPN (showing Cavaliers-Celtics in the early window Wednesday) or NBA TV couldn't make arrangements to televise Durant's highly anticipated debut alongside Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton in the NBA's latest superteam.

"We feel like fans wondering how this is going to look," Ayton said earlier this week. "We feel more anxious than the fans. That's how I feel."

Durant hasn't played since Jan. 8 in Miami, when he went down in the third quarter with a knee injury while still a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He suffered a right MCL sprain. No one knew then it was the end of Brooklyn's potential superteam, as the Nets would soon trade Kyrie Irving, which then precipitated Durant asking to be dealt to Phoenix. The Suns dealt Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four future first-round picks and a pick swap to the Nets for T.J. Warren and Durant. The Suns are 3-3 n the six games since the trade, in part because they were thinned-out temporarily by losing starters in Bridges and Johnson.

The 13-time All-Star Durant has been fabulous this season, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 55.9% from the field and 93.4% from the free-throw line. Those latter two numbers would be career highs. Durant will be on a minutes restriction for a while, just like Booker was when he returned from a left groin strain that sidelined him 21 games. Durant's first home game will be next Wednesday when Phoenix faces the Oklahoma City Thunder, the franchise that drafted Durant.

As for Ball, he broke his right ankle during Monday night's win over the Detroit Pistons, and his season is over. The former Rookie of the Year was averaging 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds and was on pace to be the first player in Hornets history to average at least four made 3-pointers per game.

Charlotte wasn't great with Ball in the lineup but is just 7-20 without him this year. The team will likely pivot to full tank mode the rest of the way, with hopes of winning the draft lottery to select French sensation Victor Wembanyama with the first pick. The only time Charlotte picked first was in 1991 when it selected Larry Johnson. He was a very good but not great NBA player.

The Hornets also are listing starting forward PJ Washington (15.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG) as doubtful tonight. He has missed the past two with a right foot sprain. 

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