LaMelo Ball is done for the season and water is still wet
LaMelo Ball has been out since Jan. 26 dealing with an ankle injury. Unfortunately, the Charlotte Hornets point guard has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season.
By Curt Bishop
The Charlotte Hornets have been without their star point guard LaMelo Ball since January 26.
Ball has been nursing an ankle injury he suffered on Nov. 26 against the Orlando Magic. He returned to play seven games before landing back on the shelf.
The Hornets announced that Ball will miss the rest of the season on Thursday, revealing that Ball is dealing with right ankle tendinopathy. The young point guard was limited to just 22 games this season due to his injuries.
The Hornets have already been eliminated from playoff contention, so a potential return of Ball would not have helped them too much at this point in the season.
Shams Charania of The Athletic provided an update on the situation via Twitter.
Sources: Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball – out since Jan. 26 with ankle injury – will miss the remainder of the season as he continues rehab. Ball averaged a career high 23.9 points in 22 games this season. pic.twitter.com/eZhQkJzSV5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2024
LaMelo Ball out for season with ankle troubles
Ball has struggled to remain healthy in each of the past two seasons.
Last year, he dealt with three separate ankle injuries, one of which was a broken right ankle. That injury ultimately required season-ending surgery. He was limited to just 36 games in the 2022-23 NBA season.
On a positive note, he finished the seasons with a career-high average of 23.9 points per game. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds, eight assists, 1.8 steals, and 32.2 minutes per game with a shooting percentage of 56.1 percent and a usage rate of 31.5 percent.
Ball earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and was even an All-Star in 2022. But injuries have taken a toll on the Hornets star ever since then.
The Hornets have Ball, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller to build around in the future, but if Ball can't stay healthy over the next few years, it will be hard for the Hornets to take any meaningful steps forward. The team has missed the postseason in back-to-back years.
Hopefully, Ball will be able to put his ankle injuries behind him and remain on the court next year.