The Charlotte Hornets are out of playoff contention, and their misfortunes don’t seem to be leaving their side anytime soon. Apart from a poor season so far with a record of 17-53, they are also on a four-game losing streak. The Hornets are 2-8 in their last 10 games and will be facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road in their next game. They are heavily short-staffed for the contest as seven of their players are ruled out and one is deemed ‘Probable’ for the next matchup.
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According to the Hornets’ official injury report, LaMelo Ball has been ruled ‘Out’ due to his right ankle tendinopathy. Since the Hornets have no hope left this season, chances are he is going to sit out for the remainder of the season. Ball’s injuries have been a real problem for him and his team this season as it has compelled him to miss most of the games. So far, the 22-year-old has only played 22 games this season, and it looks like he is not coming back anytime soon.
LaMelo Ball stats between November 6th 2023 to January 21th 2024 (Excluding the Game he Got Injured):
30.5 PPG
7.9 APG
6.1 RPG
48/41/89 SplitsMVP Candidate Soon, Just Get Healthy #1 pic.twitter.com/28UsQ1kGbm
— ₂₀ (@HoodiFultz) March 18, 2024
Other than him, Seth Curry, Cody Martin, Bryce McGowens, and Mark Williams are also out. But JT Thor is listed as ‘probable’. The Cavs, on the other hand, are going strong in the east with a record of 43-28. Even though they are 3-7 in the last 10 games and on a three-game losing streak, they have held their third spot in the Eastern Conference. Going against a team like that with several key players out of the rotation will be a tough task for the Hornets.
LaMelo Ball injury timeline
The last game that Ball played for the Hornets was on January 26th against the Houston Rockets. Since then, he has been a regular feature on the injury report. Even before that, the season wasn’t going too well for Ball as far as his health was concerned. After playing in the first 15 games of the season, he went on to miss the next 20 consecutive games. This is the second consecutive season where Ball has not been at his best. He only played 36 games in the 2022-23 season.
Despite the injuries, whenever Ball takes the court, he has proven to be an incredible asset for the Charlotte franchise. In the 22 games that he has played this season, he averaged 23.9 points, 8.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 43.3% from the field. With their playoff hopes cut short yet again, the Hornets would expect their star player to be in his best possible shape when the next season rolls out.
