LaMelo Ball is once again dealing with an ankle injury, something that has been said of the Charlotte Hornets guard plenty of times since he was drafted. He stepped on Jarred Vanderbilt's foot while backpedaling to get back on defense on Monday night and had to leave the contest immediately.

LaMelo Ball went down with an ankle injury last night. The Charlotte Hornets guard nailed a stepback three and backpedaled to get back on defense. Jarred Vander

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball left the game against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter with a left ankle injury. He will not return.

The Nets (14-33) sit just two games back of the Hornets (12-31) in the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes, and if Ball doesn’t play Wednesday, it makes it more likely that the Nets will beat them. Charlotte could also lose more games going forward if Ball, their leading scorer, misses extended time.

The Charlotte Hornets have faith that LaMelo Ball's ankle injury won't keep him away too long. Ball has a long history of injuries.

LaMelo Ball has been ruled out of the Charlotte Hornets' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday due to a left ankle sprain, the team announced.

Let’s check out the injury report for the Charlotte Hornets (12-31), which currently has five players listed (including LaMelo Ball), as the Hornets prepare for their matchup with the Brooklyn Nets (14-33,

Ball was back peddling down the court after hitting a 3-pointer and inadvertently stepped on Jarred Vanderbilt's foot, rolling his ankle.

We're not quite in barrel-scrapping territory in the East ... but it's pretty close. Out West, things are more competitive.

For the season, LaMelo Ball averages 12.6 three-point attempts per night, nearly two more per game than his closest competitor Steph Curry. In January, a month in which the Hornets have won five of their eight games, the volume of Ball's three point attempts have declined, while his volume of free throws has climbed.

Wednesday evening's game at Spectrum Center against the Brooklyn Nets will be a challenging one for Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee to navigate, thanks to injuries piling up once again. Center Mark Williams will sit this one out as the team continues to be cautious with his left foot.