Ankle injury feeling ‘a little better’ for Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball. But what about his wrist?
Dressed in a teal sweatsuit and wearing slides on his feet, LaMelo Ball is standing by the free-throw line delivering soft passes to teammates as they finish off the final few rounds of jumpers.
While Ball makes himself useful on a morning where he didn’t participate much in the Charlotte Hornets’ preparations for their date with Atlanta at State Farm Arena on Saturday night, Gordon Hayward is on the opposite court sporting full practice garb. Hayward unleashes a shot when it’s his turn in the Hornets’ conga line, readying himself for a return following a nearly-three week absence nursing a sore left hamstring.
This is the Hornets’ plight these days. They’re in a seemingly never-ending game of musical chairs, shuffling injured players in and out of the lineup all season long. The trend began in training camp and hasn’t slowed down one bit even as the Hornets blew past the midpoint of their schedule, with Ball becoming the latest to go down. He missed their 122-118 victory over Atlanta just as Hayward climbed back into the rotation and started at shooting guard against the Hawks.
“Sometimes that’s just life,” Ball said Saturday. “You’ve got to just stick through it, keep going.”
But that’s not easy, even for a team that’s dealt with this exact scenario almost too many times to count. It’s like the Hornets are stuck in a dress rehearsal for a film that can’t be put into production for more than a scene or two.
“There’s definitely frustration,” coach Steve Clifford said. “You could see it the other night again with Melo, he gets hurt there and you could see it on the bench because, look, you can’t hide from the fact that we’ve obviously had more than our share of bad luck.”
That streak continued on the first stop of their four-game road trip when Ball came up gimpy early in the second half of their win in Houston on Wednesday. The Hornets’ leading scorer exited in the third quarter after spraining his ankle. PJ Washington’s right foot landed on Ball’s foot during a drive to the basket by Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.
Ball couldn’t put any pressure on the ankle, which was the same injury that caused him to miss 24 games in two separate stints already this season. He’s encouraged by the progress in just 48 hours.
“A little better, walking around and stuff,” he said. “So, it’s a good sign. The wrist is still a little sore, though.”
Which is the other part of the equation for the Hornets. Ball also banged his right wrist in the game and was in obvious pain. It’s the same hand he had surgery on during his rookie year that cost him a hefty portion of the season, leading to additional evaluation by the team’s medical personnel once they arrived in Georgia on Thursday.
Aggravating the injury against the Rockets was a double whammy of sorts for Ball.
“The wrist had been not hurting, but ever since I broke it, it’s been the same little one (thing),” Ball said. “In Houston, I was fine with it until I hit it again ... So, yeah once I get over that little hump I think I’ll be smooth.”
Hayward missed the Hornets’ last eight games and has been unavailable for 25 of their 46 outings this season due to varying ailments. He’s watched closely during the past few weeks and believes he can be of assistance in several different aspects.
“I think some stability for us, some shot making,” Hayward said, “me being in the right spots defensively. I think some versatility on that end as well.”
Clifford welcomes Hayward’s presence and the veteran’s impact.
“Well, he helps in every aspect of the game,” Clifford said, “because No. 1 he can guard a lot of guys. He’s big, he’s quick, he’s got really good instincts on offense and defense. So, it helps our defense that way and then obviously offensively, it’s all of it.
“He’s a decision-maker, he helps the other guys play well just by the nature of he makes the right play. If you are open he gives you the ball, if he;s ope he’s going to score. He’s just a really, really good all-around basketball player.”
The Hornets need Hayward to stay healthy, which has been a problem in his two-plus seasons. His ailments have contributed to them having someone listed on their injury report for all 46 games. It’s their one constant.
Simply getting through a full 48 minutes – or week – without someone going down represents a small victory for the Hornets.
“I come back, then Kelly (Oubre) is out,” Hayward said. “Then I’m out again and Melo is out. It’s certainly been a rough season for us from that standpoint. So we’ve done a good job for the most part of next man up, but I think we’re just making it hard with so many injuries.”
A trickle down effect is inevitable.
“It’s hard for those guys to get into a rhythm,” Clifford said. “When you miss a week or so even, it’s going to take you a couple of games. But when you’ve missed … these guys are missing a significant amount of time. Then it’s hard. It’s going to take some time for them to come back.”
Ball isn’t sure how long he’ll be forced to look on from the bench. He didn’t rule out getting back on the floor at some point before their road trip ends after the upcoming stops in Utah and Phoenix.
“Hopefully,” Ball said. “Leave it up to Jesus. See what happens, wake up feeling better and go from there.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2023 at 2:30 PM.
