The Charlotte Hornets have never been much of a driving force in the NBA, and their struggles date all the way back to the Bobcats’ days.
LaMelo Ball became a beacon of light and hope for Michael Jordan’s team, looking like a generational offensive player and instantly turning them into a must-watch team, even if they didn’t win many games.
However, the younger son of the Ball household has struggled with several injuries since entering the league in 2020, and the latest news about his health is far from encouraging.
Breaking: LaMelo Ball suffered a fracture in his right ankle vs. Detroit, the Hornets announced. pic.twitter.com/kUWjusGLAN
— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2023
Melo reportedly suffered a fractured foot during his team’s win over the Detroit Pistons, ruling him out for the foreseeable future and at the worst time possible, and the fans know it.
Done for the season, I said a while ago that shutting him down to heal would help him down the line but he wanted to get out there and play.
— Joe Hamilton Sports Pixel Artist (@Hamilton4Joe) February 28, 2023
next on the news is water is wet
— Billy Tinkle (@BillyTinkleNuts) February 28, 2023
Welp baksetball was interesting for like a week when does NFL Free agency start ??
— 225 (@Donbalencii) February 28, 2023
— Zae (@NimbusElevated) February 28, 2023
There goes my fantasy team … pic.twitter.com/MiNDomMiW6
— Bryce Buderus (@brycebud1) February 28, 2023
I’ve been thinking why does the ball brothers have terrible feet then I realize they both ran like 5 miles almost everyday for like 5 years straight and lavar got them balling in some cardboard shoes before I’m just saying pic.twitter.com/TmGasKvFiO
— Jeff Van Gunndy’s Burner (@itzshaaaq) February 28, 2023
The Hornets are far behind in the playoff race, but they were getting hot at the right time and could still dream of making an unlikely push for the Play-in tournament.
They struggled to put numbers in the Win column early in the season precisely because of Ball’s struggles with injuries.
Now, their season has most likely come to an early end, and they could even look to buy some of their veterans — like Gordon Hayward or Kelly Oubre Jr. — out.
With just over 20 games left in the regular season — and given Melo’s history with injuries — he’s likely to be shut down for the remainder of the year.
The only positive thing about this is that the Hornets will be in a privileged position in the upcoming NBA Draft, but this was a major blow for a team that was supposed to be on the rise this season.
NEXT: Hornets Star Is Shocked By The Long NBA Break
