LaMelo Ball Out for Season with Ankle Injury as Hornets Eliminated from NBA Playoffs
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVMarch 28, 2024
The Charlotte Hornets announced guard LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season while he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.
Ball has been out of action since Charlotte's 138-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26.
The 2021-22 All-Star was sidelined for more than a month earlier in the year because of ankle sprain. He returned to the floor on Jan. 12 but only appeared in seven games before his ankle once again proved troublesome.
The Hornets have already been eliminated from playoff contention and have 10 games left on the schedule. There wasn't much for the team to gain by bringing Ball back, and watching him re-injure his ankle might have provided some pause about the idea.
There's no question how good the 6'7" playmaker can be when he's healthy. He was averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 35.5 percent from long range before ultimately getting shut down.
But Charlotte will be somewhat concerned by the fact he has suited up for only 58 games across the last two seasons. Equally troubling is that a right ankle fracture is what prematurely ended his 2022-23 campaign.
Ball is positioned as a franchise cornerstone after having signed a five-year rookie max extension. A significant part of the Hornets' future is staked in him.
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBATwo straight most lost seasons for LaMelo Ball. Next year starts a five-year, 25% of the cap max deal for Ball.<br><br>Hornets have to hope they can get this figured out and get him on the court regularly. He's the most important player the franchise has and these injuries are scary.
Next season is shaping up to be a pivotal one for both Ball and the organization.