Sporting his namesake golden sneakers and uttering things in that usual boisterous tone, LaMelo Ball keeps switching areas behind the 3-point line, maneuvering to all seven predetermined spots.
Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges were also enlisted in the shooting competition, firing off jumpers and choice words seemingly in unison as they kept count. Practice had already wrapped up for the Charlotte Hornets, with most happily scurrying for the exit to enjoy the rest of their time before Monday night’s tilt against Miami at Spectrum Center.
But Ball, still nursing a sprained right ankle, hung around for the friendly drill and emerged as the winner, signaling the Hornets’ star guard is indeed on the mend and steadily improving.
“Just to have two shoes on and walking around touching the ball, it’s always great,” Ball said Sunday. “So, that feels better right there.”
“Just slow progress. I’m doing treatment every day, just trying to get better. From when it happened, it feels a little better.”
That has to be encouraging for the Hornets considering how bad the injury looked initially, leading to reports Ball would be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. In the second quarter of Charlotte’s Nov 26 loss in Orlando, Ball landed awkwardly on his ankle while getting tangled up with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, forcing him to collapse on the Amway Center court in serious pain.
Two people had to help Ball hop on one foot into the locker room because he was so uncomfortable physically. Mentally, he had to clear a hurdle, too, given his history with that particular foot. It’s the same one he had season-ending surgery on March 1.
“Yeah, I knew it was the ankle that I hurt,” Ball said. “That’s probably what messed with my head a little. I was like, ‘Oooh.’ I really didn’t feel like I could put pressure on it, so I really didn’t try.”
Now, though, exactly two weeks after going down — and a week after shedding his walking boot and arm crutch — Ball is slowly increasing his daily workload. He’s started individual activities and will be re-evaluated again in the coming days this week to gauge where he’s at and determine his next step.
He’s full speed ahead in his rehabilitation, using a variety of techniques.
“Everything you can think of,” Ball said. “A little movement this way, that way. Icing, getting ready. Everything they say.”
And he’s already encouraged.
“It feels way better than when it happened because at first I couldn’t even put any pressure on my foot,” Ball said. “But now I can stand on two feet, walk a little. Still (have) a little limp, but way better than it was.”
Same goes for the Hornets’ overall vibe. Ball’s presence alone seems to uplift them.
When he’s not around, the difference in the team’s mood is detectable. It’s just not the same. They feed off his energy, even if it’s in a friendly shooting contest.
“He’s been great the whole time,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He wants to be out there. He’s starting to feel better, but he loves the game. So, he’s great with his teammates. He’s supportive, he’s up in practice. You see him a lot of practice, he’s right up on the sideline watching. He wants to make sure when he gets back he’s on top of things. So, he has a love of the game.”
In their franchise player’s absence, the Hornets have put the ball in Rozier’s hands and he’s excelled in the playmaking role. The veteran is averaging 23.4 points, nine assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 37.5 minutes per game, shooting 37.1% from 3-point range.
The 45 assists Rozier stockpiled during that stretch represent the most in any five-game span of an NBA career that began in 2015.
“We know what Terry can do,” Ball said. “Right when I was down, we knew we were good getting T-Ro back. So, he’s just pretty much putting that on display right now. The assists, the scoring, everything. He’s a really great player and he’s just doing what he needs to do.”
Which is stabilize the position until Ball is in the mix again. Being sidelined has been a common occurrence for Ball since entering the league in 2020. He’s yet to make it through a full schedule and only played in 36 games last season after injuring his ankles four times.
Rather than sulking, though, he’s taking it in stride and choosing to look at the bright side, even pointing to the situation Golden State star and Charlotte’s own Steph Curry went through at the outset of his days in the league.
“It’s life, I guess,” Ball said. “You play basketball, people get hurt. You build your body up. What was it, Curry had ankle problems starting off? So, you can’t look at it like that. You see where he’s at, so just keep working. Keep going.
“There are other people that hurt their ankles that are still playing. I just leave it up to God. I don’t trip.”
Back in training camp, Ball mentioned he planned to wear ankle braces this season to better protect himself, hoping it would help prevent injury. But the pair he initially had led to too much discomfort, forcing him to go without them.
He’s willing to revisit an equipment change again and mulling over utilizing braces.
“Play it by the day, see what happens, try some things out, see how it feels,” Ball said. “But the ones I had so far, I wouldn’t wear those.”
So, custom-made braces could be on tap then?
“I don’t know,” he said. “You would have to present it to me. Let me try them and we’ll see.”
Somehow, the Hornets must find a way to keep Ball off the injured list. He was in a good rhythm, averaging 33.8 points per game in his last five outings before going down against the Magic, marking his highest scoring average in any five-game stretch.
He also compiled at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in seven straight games prior to getting injured, representing the longest streak in franchise history, and he was one of only seven players in the NBA averaging 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal per game.
“I was just playing basketball,” Ball said, “so, when I get healthy again, it’s just go out there and play basketball.”
