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Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball has been added to the team's injury report after Wednesday morning's shootaround, where he was experiencing right ankle soreness. With the Hornets set to play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, Ball's status is now up in the air since he is questionable for this matchup.
Ball, who missed 60 games during the 2023-24 season due to ankle issues, has yet to miss a game during the 2024-25 season. As a result of still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired right ankle near the end of last season, Ball has opted to wear special ankle braces to try and prevent further ankle injuries. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has worn ankle guards and braces his entire career, so if it worked for him, it can work for Ball as well.
In a total of seven games, all of which he has started, Ball has averaged 28.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 39.0 percent from three-point range. The Hornets star currently ranks eight in total shots made this season, seventh in the league in scoring, and tied for fourth in total three pointers made. Early on, Ball has looked like an All-Star and one of the better point guards in the NBA.
This is certainly a worrisome injury update for the Hornets, who recently got Brandon Miller back after his four-game hiatus after the first game of the season due to a hip injury. It is also worth noting that Charlotte's frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries to begin the year, with Mark Williams and Nick Richards being sidelined. Richards was recently diagnosed with a right first rib cartilage fracture underneath his clavicle and will be reevaluated on a week-to-week basis.
While it does not appear as if LaMelo's ankle injury is serious, the fact that he is dealing with soreness after some days off just seven games into the season causes reason to be skeptical about his availability moving forward. Due to his ankle injury history, Ball could wind up missing chunks of time throughout the 2024-25 season. The 23-year-old is in danger of missing his first game of the season on Wednesday home against Detroit.
In the event that Ball is unable to play, first-year head coach Charles Lee will turn to Tre Mann, Seth Curry, and Josh Green to lead his backcourt. Mann has been effective as Ball's primary backup this season, averaging 17.9 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range. It is also possible that Vasilije Micic could see his role increase off the bench if Ball is out and Mann is elevated to the starting rotation.
The Hornets will provide further updates on Ball's status during pregame warmups.
