The Charlotte Hornets have been in rebuilding mode for the last few years. This year, there was hope they could finally start to make a push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are one of the most promising young tandems in the league, and they have started out scorching hot. The team has built around them, adding savvy veterans and more young talent. However, it has not led to much winning, partly because of injuries. Their injury woes have gotten worse, as it was reported that Ball will be out for at least two weeks with a calf strain.
Charlotte Hornets Will Miss LaMelo Ball
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Charlotte Hornets are shutting down LaMelo Ball for at least two weeks. He will be reevaluated then. Ball was hurt in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat. He missed Friday’s game against the New York Knicks, and the team hoped that the rest would solve the issue. That does not seem to be the case, and the Hornets do not want to risk a long-term injury to their young star.
This is a huge loss for the Charlotte Hornets. Ball has averaged 31.1 points, 6.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Over the last four games, he has been on a blistering pace. Buoyed by a 50-point outing against the Milwaukee Bucks, LaMelo is averaging 40.3 points over the last four games. The team will have to replace not just his scoring but his playmaking as well. Sitting at 6-13, the Hornets cannot afford to fall too far behind in the Eastern Conference.
The Injuries Are Piling Up
The Charlotte Hornets have been dealing with injuries all season. They are starting to pile up. Miller was out for the first week and a half of the season. Center Mark Williams has been dealing with a left foot injury and hasn’t played this season. Miles Bridges has been dealing with a knee issue, and Tre Mann has a disc in his back that is causing discomfort. This doesn’t include Grant Williams, who is lost for the season to a torn ACL. While he wasn’t stuffing the stat sheet, he was a good veteran presence on the court and in the locker room.
It’s hard to win when a team is not healthy. The New Orleans Pelicans have been dealing with the same issues. They have played a whopping 19 players this season, and many of their stars have been sidelined due to injuries. Their record is similar to the Charlotte Hornets. This happens sometimes to teams.
Every team can remember a year where the injuries piled up to a point where the season was lost. The hope for Charlotte is that the injury to LaMelo Ball will not be long-term. Calf injuries are tricky because they often can lead to an Achilles injury which is not something any athlete wants to have. Stay tuned for more updates as the situation unfolds. If Ball has to miss more time, the team could find themselves ending this season at the bottom of the standings yet again.
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