The Hornets lost to the Nets 103-84 on Wednesday night, reducing their record to 12-32 this season. The team is 5-5 in its last 10 games and is 14th among 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.
Against the Lakers on Monday night, all-star PG LaMelo Ball suffered an ankle injury. He had an MRI on Wednesday and it revealed a left ankle sprain. Ball is expected to miss at least one week for the Hornets.
LaMelo Ball will be re-evaluated in one week due to an ankle injury
OFFICIAL: MRI results on LaMelo Ball’s left ankle confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left ankle sprain. He will be listed as out vs. the LA Clippers on Friday, Jan. 31 and he will be reevaluated in one week.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 30, 2025
In the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, the Hornets used the third overall pick to draft LaMelo Ball. With (15.7) points, (5.9) rebounds, (6.1) assists, and (1.6) steals per game, Ball was Rookie of the Year in 2020-21. During his sophomore campaign in 2021-22, Ball was named an all-star for the first time. He played in 75 of the Hornets’ 82 games that season. Unfortunately, injuries have kept the 23-year-old off the court over his last two seasons.
Ball played 36 games in 2022-23 and 22 games in 2023-24. The all-star PG has a history of ankle injuries in his NBA career, which is why he missed so much time. In 2024-25, Ball is once again dealing with ankle injuries. However, they are not as serious as in the past. LaMelo Ball is only expected to miss a week for the Hornets.
The 2024-25 season has been a breakout year offensively for LaMelo Ball. His (28.2) points per game is a career-high. Additionally, Ball has 15, 30+ point games this season in 31 starts. When Ball is on the court this season for the Hornets, he is leading the team offensively. When all-star reserves are announced on Thursday, Ball anticipates his second selection and his first since 2021-22. The 2024-25 NBA All-Star game is Sunday, February, 16.
