The 2023-24 NBA season has not gone according to plan for the Charlotte Hornets. They have been struggling this season, owning the fourth-worst record in the league at 18-54 and heading toward another lottery selection.

A major reason for their struggles has been in the inability of their All-Star point guard, LaMelo Ball. Ball has not played since January 27th, when he sat out the second night of a back-to-back set with a right ankle injury.

It turns out the injury was quite severe, as the Hornets announced that they are officially shutting Ball down for the remainder of the season. He will focus on rehabbing his ankle and coming back 100 percent healthy for the 2024-25 NBA season.

Injuries have hampered Ball a ton in the last two seasons. He has played in only 58 games since playing in 75 and making his first NBA All-Star Game in Year 2 of his career during the 2021-22 campaign.

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This season, he dealt with two separate length injury absences. At the beginning of the season, Ball missed about seven weeks after spraining his right ankle. Now, he will miss 38 more to finish the season, in what has been a lost one for Charlotte.

With Ball in the lineup this season, the Hornets were a little more competitive, but still an underwhelming 7-15. Despite the lack of success in the win column, he was playing at a high level on the court.

The 23.9 points per game that he was averaging will end up being a career-high for a single season. He rounded out his stat line with 8.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.3 minutes per game.

If the Hornets want any hopes of things turning around sooner rather than later, they need better luck with health. In addition to Ball, Mark Williams has missed a large chunk of the season. Those two, along with Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, are the foundation of the franchise.