Hornets standout LaMelo Ball played in his first game since February. So how did he look?

It kind of had a familiar vibe.

LaMelo Ball is on the Kaseya Center floor, tossing up 3-pointers from all angles and talking trash to his teammates while he’s at it. The Charlotte Hornets’ star point guard wraps up his shootaround by hurling more than a few shots from halfcourt, determined to keep uncorking them until he swishes at least one.

The scenario is eerily similar to the setting that unfolded in this very same arena 11 months ago, when Ball returned from a nearly five-week stint rehabbing a sprained left ankle sustained in the Hornets’ penultimate preseason game. Except on Tuesday, as Ball returns to game action for the first time since February, he can truly ease himself back into the flow.

By now, Miami probably almost feels like a second home for Ball, who apparently had a few South Florida flashbacks as he got off the team bus for the Hornets morning shootaround in preparation for their preseason-opening 113-109 loss to the Heat.

“I damn near was like, we do every preseason game here,” Ball said Tuesday. “It feels like that.”

Not quite. After all, the Sunshine State humidity and scorching temperatures can sometimes play mind games. In actuality, though, the Hornets haven’t played a non-regular season game in Miami since 2021.

But for Ball, who’s seven months removed from ankle surgery, none of that really matters. Here’s what does: his ankles — which are being protected by braces for the first time in his career — passed the first test. He looked like his old self, controlling the action and recording 17 points to go with seven assists in 22 minutes.

He succeeded in knocking off some rust that may have accumulated during his hiatus when he missed the final 19 games of 2022-23. That, and walking off the floor healthy, were the only true goals he had in mind.

“It felt great, just to go out here and get my feet wet, get back into it,” Ball said. “Catch a wind and all that type of stuff, Yeah, first time was cool.”

Ball received medical clearance three weeks ago, allowing him to be a full participant throughout training camp. And he practiced without limitations leading into their date with the Heat, putting him in position to slowly increase his on-court time.

“I think he’s getting more and more in rhythm,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Compared to say five days ago, it’s night and day. He’s a hard worker and he just worked hard all summer. He just wasn’t able to do live stuff. So, he’s only been able to do contact for a few days and he’s really making great progress.”

Still, he’s not ready to proclaim he’s back to his old self. Not yet, anyway..

“I don’t know,” Ball said. “I didn’t even really feel (it). I was just out there doing an open run type of thing. Just pretty much trying to get my wind.”

Although the Hornets didn’t want Ball to push himself too much throughout training camp, he made sure to get as close as possible to the brink during those six days of scrimmaging and light drill work, knowing there’s a fine line he didn’t want to cross. The last thing the Hornets need is for Ball, who has yet to log a full season as a pro, to re-injure himself since their schemes are built entirely around him.

He’s held up well over the past week.

“No, he’s been good,” Gordon Hayward said. “I wouldn’t say anything is affecting him. That’s why I think it will be good to have these preseason games here and build some chemistry again and hopefully pick up where we left off last year.”

Which was rapidly getting up and down the floor, pushing the tempo. That’s Ball’s specialty and one of his best traits, which is why the Hornets plan on tapping into it even more in 2023-24.

“We were seventh in pace last year with him only playing 36 games,” coach Steve Clifford said. “It’s everybody, I think this whole team is a running team. We were elite at pace even without him. That’s everybody.

“You want to play to the strengths of your group and he is good at it but they are all. And that’s why the team can fit together well. And now what we have to be is more efficient when we do run. That’s what we weren’t good at.”

Consider it one of the Hornets’ top tasks during their four-game preseason schedule, which continues in Washington on Thursday against the Wizards.

“We just want to go out there and learn and figure ourselves out,” Ball said, “see how we are going to play and get a game plan and just use it as a learning experience.”

In turn, perhaps it can spur the Hornets to break the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, which stands at eight seasons and counting.

There are bigger expectations surrounding them and Ball can sense it.

“We’ve had years together now and people know each other,” Ball said. “Everybody knows moving forward what we are trying to do. I feel like everybody is just a little more locked in.”