Reports: LaMelo Ball is expected to miss the start of the regular season as he's diagnosed with a left ankle sprain

LaMelo Ball injured his left ankle during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Monday. Unfortunately, the injury could keep him sidelined for a while.

According to Shams Charania of 'The Athletic', the Charlotte Hornets star will miss the start of the regular season. Ball rolled his left ankle when he stepped on the foot of Wizards forward Anthony Gill while driving to the basket. The incident occurred midway through the third quarter of the Hornets' 116-107 loss on October 10. Luckily, Ball got up on his own and left the court on his own accord.

The latest news about the injury is positive. The timeline for his recovery might not be as long as initially expected. According to reports, Ball could miss only a few weeks of action before returning to the lineup.

LaMelo Ball is coming off an All-Star season where he averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds. He did all of this while shooting over 43% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.

The Hornets will start their season against the San Antonio Spurs on October 20.

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Can LaMelo Ball lead the Hornets to the playoffs?

Boston Celtics v Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets had an underwhelming offseason. They did little to improve their roster after finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference last season.

Over the summer, the Hornets lost Montrezl Harrell and Miles Bridges. Harrell signed a one-year deal the Philadelphia 76ers on September 13. Bridges was arrested for felony domestic violence stemming from an incident with his girlfriend in Los Angeles. He was released on $130,000 bond, and has pled not guilty to the charges laid against him.

LaMelo Ball's supporting cast doesn't look too strong. They did nothing to address the loss of Bridges, who was arguably their second-best player last season. Their big offseason move was signing Dennis Smith Jr., a former first-round pick out of North Carolina State.

The Charlotte Hornets also signed LiAngelo Ball, who is LaMelo's older brother. It remains doubtful that he will be an impact player in the league.

A healthy Gordon Hayward could make a difference. But his injury history is a concern. The 32-year old has played just 93 games since joining the team prior to the 2020-21 season.

It's unclear whether LaMelo Ball will be able to lead the Hornets to their first playoff appearance since 2016. With a lot of question marks on their roster, the Hornets are in for a wild ride.