Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Out for Remainder of Season

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is out for the remainder of the season after injuring his ankle in Monday’s win over the Pistons, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Ball sustained a fractured right ankle, the team announced. With just 19 games left, it’s hard to envision Ball returning, especially since the Hornets will not be making the playoffs or play-in tournament.

It’s been a lost season all the way around for Charlotte, as Ball started the year on the injured list with a bad ankle. He returned briefly only to injure it again.

When he did play, he played well, averaging 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 36 appearances. Ball, 21, is one of the NBA’s tallest point guards at 6-foot-7.

But he could not save the Hornets in their first season of coach Steve Clifford‘s return. It began with forward Miles Bridges being arrested for felony domestic abuse over the summer, just before he was to become a restricted fee agent.

That case ended in November, but Bridges, one of the team’s best players last season, remains unsigned.

Meanwhile, Ball is always one of the Hornets’ greatest reasons for hope, but it appears that hope for this year has ended.

Charlotte (20-43) has won five straight.

“It’s certainly disappointing because (Ball is) a major part of our team and we felt like we were rounding the corner,” forward Gordon Hayward said.

Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the season with his fractured right ankle, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Ball has had multiple left ankle sprains this season before suffering the right ankle fracture on Monday night.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2023