NOVEMBER 17: Ball did not practice on Thursday and will not play on Friday versus Cleveland, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“We’ll be without him here,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “I don’t think we have any idea how long.”
Clifford also told reporters that Ball had an X-ray after Wednesday’s game, which came back negative.
NOVEMBER 16: Point guard LaMelo Ball, who just made his 2022/23 regular season debut on Saturday, re-injured his left ankle late in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana and did not return, the Hornets announced (via Twitter).
According to the Hornets, Ball suffered a left ankle sprain — the same injury that caused him to miss the team’s first 13 games. He initially injured his ankle in preseason and it was fairly serious, since it was a Grade 2 sprain.
A first-time All-Star last season, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals on .429/.389/.872 shooting in 75 games (32.3 MPG). While he had to shake off some rust in his first two games back this season, he was having a big night Wednesday prior to the injury, recording 26 points and six assists in 37 minutes.
After making the play-in tournament in each of the past two seasons, the Hornets have struggled early on in ’22/23, with Wednesday’s loss dropping their record to 4-12. In addition to Ball, Terry Rozier (ankle), Cody Martin (knee surgery) and Gordon Hayward (shoulder) have all had extended injury absences, and backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has missed the past two games with his own left ankle sprain (Twitter link).
If Ball and Smith miss more time with their ankle sprains, Theo Maledon and James Bouknight should see an increase in minutes.
That’s so wack he and his bro bouta be damaged goods the rest of their careers. Watch them both end up on the Lakers once that idiot LeBum retires
Most ankle sprains last forever for sure.
Indeed. Remember Stephen Curry? Such a promising future he had before all of the ankle issues. Wonder what he’s up to now?
Talk to his Finals MVP about it
Know a lot of people with lifelong ankle sprains, do you, Pippty?
Going to be so crazy in 3 years when Wiseman is playing in the all-star game and Ball is considered the Byron Buxton of the NBA.
Yeah man. So crazy.
Quality reply. Really good.
Thanks bro.
So crazy, I didn’t know the G League added an all-star game!
Oh, but hey, Buxton produced 4 WAR last season, which was probably more than any player on the A’s. So you’re saying Ball will be good, but miss a few games. I’ll take that over Wiseman’s G League all-star nods.
2k25 will be the only time James Wiseman makes the All-Star Game. Also, Byron Buxton’s pretty dang good when he’s healthy.
That’s Cody Martin, not Caleb Martin.
Thanks.
The LaMelo-Wemby highlights will be rad
Man the hornets just need to stop trying to win and start tanking for Victor.
Spurs OKC and Jazz all messing their chances up. Ball is the only franchise player just rank it for a year
Man I don’t want this team to win the Victor sweepstakes… They have the best chances to tho…
Nobody has the best chance to
The 3 best have a 86% of still NOT getting him
This Probably needs to be posted about 50 more times as it’s just not sinking in here much
Charlotte needs Ball, or its Wembanyama time. No way they can make the playoffs without Ball consistently in the lineup
Please please please NBA gods do not waste Wemby and give him to Charlotte