LaMelo Ball's fourth ankle injury ends frustrating season

Ball turned his right ankle during the third quarter of Charlotte's game against the Detroit Pistons. He was dribbling behind his back and when he planted his right foot, he collapsed, heading to the locker room immediately.

It was the fourth time Ball has injured an ankle this year, though the previous three sprains happened to his left ankle. First, he stepped on an opponent's foot in a preseason game and missed the first 13 games of the season. In his third game back, he sprained it again after stepping on a fan's foot that was seated courtside. Then in January, he got hurt when teammate P.J. Washington fell on his leg.

Now the 21-year-old's third season is over after 36 games. Ball had career highs with 23.3 points per game and 8.4 assists, taking on a bigger portion of the scoring load for Charlotte. It's been a rough season for the Hornets, but they've won five games in a row.

Some of that winning streak is due to finally being healthy. Charlotte is 20-43 (.317), but a much more respectable 10-14 (.417) when Ball and Gordon Hayward both play. Those two have missed 53 games combined, and guard Terry Rozier has missed 11.

Overall, it's been a lost season for Charlotte. The Hornets declined to sign last year's leading scorer, Miles Bridges, after horrific domestic violence charges. (Bridges pled no contest and received three years probation in November.) Second-year guard James Bouknight was arrested for DWI with a handgun in his car. Even the head coach they hired, Kenny Atkinson, changed his mind and stayed an assistant coach.

Charlotte fans shouldn't despair yet. There's another promising young point guard whose career was almost derailed due to ankle injuries: Steph Curry. Through surgeries and some shoe switches, he went on to become a four-time champion and two-time MVP. Ball might need to have a meeting with Puma to talk footwear. Or, he can ask his dad if Big Baller Brand can make a shoe with ankle support.