Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will not play for the rest of the season. He had surgeries on his right ankle and right wrist. The team expects Ball to be back to playing basketball in five to six weeks and to fully recover.
Ball, who is 23 years old, has been injured several times this season, especially with his ankle. Lower-body injuries have been a problem for him throughout his first five years in the NBA. His last game was on March 25, and he will now miss the Hornets` last seven games of the season.
Looking ahead, his frequent injuries are a concern for the Hornets because they see him as a key player for the team`s future. In his career, he has only played more than 60 games once, which was when he was chosen as an All-Star in his second season. Since then, he has played an average of 35 games per season for the past three years. This is a worrying situation for the Hornets. This season, he played 47 games and averaged 25.2 points and 7.4 assists per game. However, his shooting percentages were the lowest in his career, with 40.5% from the field and 33.9% from three-point range.
Injuries to Ball and other Hornets players ruined any chance of the team doing well this season. Brandon Miller also had a season-ending injury early in the season. Grant Williams was also ruled out for the rest of the season, and Tre Mann, who seemed to be improving a lot in his fourth year, was also ruled out.
Injuries have been a major problem for the Hornets for almost ten years, preventing them from getting out of the bottom of the league. However, there is a positive possibility for the future. The Hornets have a good chance to draft Cooper Flagg, a very talented freshman from Duke, if they get the first pick in the draft lottery. Drafting Flagg would be a major positive change for the Hornets and would greatly improve the team`s future. A group of Flagg, Ball, and Miller, along with other promising players, would be very exciting.
However, this all depends on whether they can draft Flagg and if Ball can stay healthy. Ball is a player who people have very different opinions about. Some think he only scores points without helping his team win. There might be some truth to that, but it is undeniable that Ball is a very talented scorer. He is one of the most exciting players to watch and was close to becoming an All-Star for the second time. He was leading all guards in the Eastern Conference in fan votes. Ball did not make the All-Star team, and things have gotten worse for him and the Hornets since then. The Hornets have a record of 19 wins and 56 losses, which is the third-worst in the league.
This season was likely already lost before Ball`s surgery news. But now, the Hornets can focus on getting ready for the draft and making sure their players are healthy for next season.
Jasper Hawthorne