LaMelo Ball‘s injury issues have concerned the Charlotte Hornets since the past season. The Hornets guard has missed 23 consecutive games and 44 overall this season. Last season, Ball played only 58 games due to an ankle ailment. Injuries have been one of the most unfortunate predicaments for Ball, limiting his game time significantly throughout his career.
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It has been difficult for the Hornets to keep up in the league, especially given they are ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference, just two places above the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards. As per the latest injury report from the Hornets, LaMelo Ball has again been ruled out for tonight’s showdown against the Phoenix Suns due to Right Ankle Tendinopathy.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets vs PHX 3/15
LaMelo Ball (R Ankle), Seth Curry (R Ankle), Cody Martin (L Ankle), Bryce McGowens (R Knee) and Mark Williams (Low Back) are out
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) March 14, 2024
In the games that he has played this season, Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. This will be Melo’s 24th consecutive miss since his last appearance in the game against the Chicago Bulls on January 26. However, hopes of Melo’s return are still alive amongst fans, as Hornets head coach Steve Clifford recently gave an injury update. Clifford revealed that Ball has increased his on-court work, which makes us believe he could soon feature in the Hornets’ concluding regular season games.
The Hornets are in a transition phase while they deal with LaMelo Ball’s injury
The Charlotte Hornets are in a transitional rebuild phase, having traded several veteran players, such as Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. However, with the absence of LaMelo Ball for the majority, the regular season did not go exactly as expected for the Hornets.
At the moment, Charlotte is looking to remain cautious regarding Ball’s injury, given their misfortunes with such predicaments since last season. However, given the Hornets are now nothing more than a lottery team, it would be futile not to let Melo recover during this course.
Ball’s pairings with Seth Curry and Brandon Miller for the next two seasons could bring in more depth for the Hornets squad. Given the pressure for the next two seasons seems alleviated from the Hornets, they might now experiment with their young talents to find their fit within the roster.
