NBA Star LaMelo Ball Experiences Third Ankle Damage with Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are currently facing a challenging season, with star player LaMelo Ball dealing with ankle soreness. This development comes as the team is listed as one of five teams at the bottom of DraftKings' NBA futures board, having +100,000 odds to win the 2022-23 NBA championship [1].
Ball's ankle troubles have been a recurring issue throughout his career, with his first ankle injury keeping him out of the first 13 games of the season, and a second injury occurring after he stepped on a fan sitting courtside and knocked him out for 11 games [2]. His most recent injury, sustained while playing the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, has added to this pattern, causing him to miss several games [3].
Despite the setbacks, the Hornets are being cautious with Ball's recovery, with plans to limit his preseason participation to just one game to reduce the risk of re-injury while allowing him to regain game readiness [4]. The team is aiming for Ball to play at least 50 games this coming season, a significant improvement given that over his five NBA seasons, he has only appeared in about 56% of possible games due to injuries [1].
As of the latest update, Ball is listed as day-to-day on the injury report, but local beat reporters believe he will miss a couple of weeks [5]. However, no specific full recovery timeline has been confirmed yet. The Hornets are reported to be better equipped than before to handle his potential absences without it severely impacting the team [1].
The Hornets' current position in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament race is far from promising, trailing the 10th-place Chicago Bulls by nine games [6]. Despite losing Ball, the team was able to end a five-game losing streak and improve to 12-34 on the season, with a hard-fought victory against the Houston Rockets by five points, 122-117 [7].
Despite these challenges, the Hornets remain hopeful for Ball's return and the impact he can have on the team. His impressive performance in the final 10 games of December, where he averaged career-high numbers in points (25.0), assists (8.2), and rebounds (6.6) per game, along with a 39.1% 3-point shooting percentage, offers a glimpse of the potential the team has when he is at his best [8].
[1] Source: DraftKings NBA Futures Board [2] Source: ESPN NBA [3] Source: Charlotte Observer Sports [4] Source: Sports Illustrated NBA [5] Source: Charlotte Observer Sports [6] Source: NBA.com Standings [7] Source: ESPN NBA [8] Source: Charlotte Observer Sports
Basketball is a significant area of concern for the Charlotte Hornets, with star player LaMelo Ball dealing with ankle soreness, and his past injuries suggesting this could be a recurring issue. The Hornets' NBA championship odds for the 2022-23 season are currently listed as +100,000 on DraftKings' NBA futures board, indicating a challenging season ahead [1].
