A difficult offseason for the Charlotte Hornets went from bad to worse last week when franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball went down with an injury in the third quarter of a preseason matchup against the Washington Wizards.
In addition to going 0-5 in the preseason, the Charlotte Hornets also lost their most important player to a left ankle sprain that will cost him games at the beginning of the season.
LaMelo Ball exited the game vs. Wizards with a left ankle sprain pic.twitter.com/luBqiWA0tk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 11, 2022
An update was provided soon after, but the prognosis is still a murky one at best for both Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
INJURY UPDATE: The results of @hornets guard LaMelo Ball’s MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis of a L ankle sprain. His return to full basketball activities will be determined by his response to rehab and treatment and further updates on his status will be provided as appropriate https://t.co/c70iE0k8X7
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) October 11, 2022
Further details were revealed after tests determined that Ball’s injury was a Grade 2 ankle sprain.
Re: LaMelo Ball: A grade 2 sprain is also known as a partial tear. Other players to sustain G2 ankle sprains includes Mike Conley, Ja Morant, and Trae Young. The average time lost is ~7 games (~19 days) with the time lost virtually the same when just guards are examined.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) October 11, 2022
Ball’s injury originally occurred on October 10th; based on a 19-day recovery window, he would be ready to return to the court on October 29th, when the Charlotte Hornets are scheduled to host the Golden State Warriors.
While the Charlotte Hornets and those in attendance would love to have Ball active for a marquee matchup against the defending NBA champion Warriors, the team would also be wise to take a long-term view with how they handle their franchise player’s injury. The Charlotte Hornets host the Sacramento Kings on October 31st before visiting the Chicago Bulls on November 2nd and the Memphis Grizzlies on November 4th. They then return to Charlotte for a Saturday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on November 5th.
Unless Ball suffers another setback, it appears as if he will return sometime between October 29th and November 5th. With two marquee home matchups on two consecutive Saturdays, the Charlotte Hornets could choose to be cautious with Ball and have him return no later than the Nets game.
For now, the Charlotte Hornets will try to fill the void left by Ball until he returns. Look for Terry Rozier, Cody Martin, and Dennis Smith Jr. to all see some time at the point guard position until Ball is fully healed from his injury.