LaMelo Ball likely out for rest of season with fractured wrist

The NBA just got a little less fun.

LaMelo Ball — who has been running away with the Rookie of the Year award — may be out for the rest of the season due to a fractured wrist suffered against the Clippers Saturday, the team announced.

UPDATE: LaMelo Ball has suffered a fractured bone in his right wrist. Ball, who will be further evaluated, will be listed as out indefinitely.

🔗: https://t.co/DcE36nrbLJ https://t.co/lD68vq9a3v

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 22, 2021

Earlier in the day the Hornets had listed Ball as probable for Sunday night against the Spurs, however, an MRI revealed the fracture.

Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball — rookie of the year frontrunner — is expected to miss the rest of the season with a fracture to his right wrist, source tells ESPN. He's seeking a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 22, 2021

The Hornets need to be cautious with their franchise player and not race him back just to make a bottom-of-the-playoffs push this season.

The injury happened midway through the second quarter Saturday when LaMelo drove the lane in transition and landed awkwardly on his wrist (video above). Ball played the rest of the game but heavily favored his left hand as his wrist was clearly bothering him.

Ball is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game this season. More impressively, he has impacted winning in Charlotte, a team sitting as the seven seed in the East and with unexpected playoff ambitions — ones that will take a hit without Ball on the court.

LaMelo has instantly become one of the must-watch players in the league — he has an “it” factor with his playmaking and feel for the game that has everyone wanting to watch him play. The NBA is just not as fun without him, and it may be without him for the rest of the season.