Ankle Injury Prevention

Recently the Detroit Pistons banned a shoe from being worn by team members. They had numerous ankle injuries in players wearing the Nike Hyperize shoe. It's advertised as a super light weight basketball shoe. I looked at the shoe and it's stylish and see how many would like to wear it. Light weight design may attract players to wear it. The strength training coach at the Pistons suggested the ban because it has no ankle support on the sides of ankle or no padding as some shoes offer.  
I decided to investigate by reading forums and discussions on ankle injury prevention in shoes. The strength training coaches had some great ideas on how to pick a proper shoe for playing basketball. Playing the game involves side motion and cutting. Landing sometimes involves injury especially when on top of another players foot. That injury may be unavoidable in what any shoe has to offer. But the cutting effect requires not only good shoes but good healthy ankles aswell.
The best discussion about the shoe came from a strength and conditioning coach who said to put on the shoe your interested in and bear weight on the heel. Move your heel outward and if your heel goes outward and the bottom of the shoe stays or bends inward toward the other leg it will be cause for injury. That made sense to me.
Others discussed the training efforts by teams. One in particular noted to train the ankle without shoes for a short period after practice. The basketball shoe hinders the full movement while training to avoid injury. Take off shoes and perform forward lunges, reverse lunges and side lunges. Most players put their ballin shoes away after practice anyway and makes for a perfect time to build strength in that area.
I know at Humboldt State University they demand every player on the floor wear ankle braces during all games and practice. This has cut down on ankle injuries since they implemented that idea.
One should always lace up properly. Buy a pair that fits well. The foot should not float around. It will also avoid blisters on the forward and reverse motion during landing and performing jump-stops.