“It’s [been] difficult” was the prevailing theme when several Hornets players talked to Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone about how the season has turned out after entering it with goals of competing for an Eastern Conference Play-in spot. However, injuries have derailed their progress as several players have missed time. Are key players close to returning?
Hornets Players Talk About “Difficult” Season, And When Will Key Players Return
Charlotte entered the 2024-25 season with arguably its most talented and healthiest roster in years. LaMelo Ball, who had played just 60 games over the last two seasons, was ready to go, and Miles Bridges was coming off a strong comeback season. Brandon Miller was expected to take another step in his development.
Meanwhile, Grant Williams showed promise of being a quality 3-and-D forward once again after the Hornets acquired him from Dallas. Plus, Charlotte essentially stole Josh Green from the Mavericks as he was sent to Charlotte as part of the Klay Thompson six-team trade.
Despite the Hornets, under the direction of first-year head coach Charles Lee, aspirations, they appear to be destined to finish with a losing record. The Hornets, who last made the playoffs in 2016, are in contention for the worst record in the league.
Charlotte’s health became an issue almost right from the get-go. Center Mark Williams strained his tendon prior to training camp and didn’t make The Hornets began the season 2-3, marking the third straight season they started the campaign with two or fewer wins as Miller was injured after just 11 minutes of action. Miller ended up missing four games.
Green was inactive for two of the first five games. Things started to spiral from there.
Season Starts To Spiral Away From Hornets
Charlotte went 4-12 in November as injuries continued to pile up, and the Hornets struggled to put the ball in the basket. Tre Mann only played nine games, while Bridges missed nine contests, and Nick Richards sat out 14. Of course, Grant Williams saw his season end late in the month due to a torn ACL.
“It’s difficult — obviously, we’ve had more injuries than we’ve wanted,” Green told Boone about the injuries. “But at the end of the day, I feel like that’s also the NBA. There’s always injuries and for us to be successful, it doesn’t take three guys. The whole team needs to be ready to play. Yeah, it’s very unfortunate we haven’t had our starting group. I think maybe one game we’ve had them.
Things Go From Bad To Worse
Things have gone from bad to worse. The Hornets have lost 10 of their 11 games in December with a minus-10.4 point differential. Miller, Bridges, Ball, and Mann have all missed at least four games this month. Green and Vasilije Micic are the only Hornets to play in each of Chrarlotte’s December contests.
“Obviously, right now we are in a little bit of a slump,” Mark Williams added. “I think for us we’ve almost got to remember the feeling of winning again. Just the joy that brings, the vibes. And just continuing to get that back. I think right now we almost, like, forgot. We are always just fighting. We’re playing hard; it’s not like we aren’t playing hard. “There’s flashes of good things we’re doing. I think it’s just getting over that hump for us is going to be the biggest thing. We can do it. I know we can do it. Every day in practice and obviously games, we are doing everything we can to be the best versions of ourselves.”
Charlotte is 7-24 on the season, tying Toronto and Utah for the second fewest win total. The Hornets have just two more victories than New Orleans and Washington, who sit at the bottom of their respective conference. They have lost 16 of their last 17 and are 6.5 games out of 10th place in the East.
“The message is that we’ve got to be obsessed with daily improvement,” Lee said. “I think some adversity is (evident) in life and in basketball, and it’s going to happen. I think that the mindset that we come to work with every day, the mindset for every game, the competitiveness, the togetherness, is just important to withstand. “Everyone’s journey is different. There’s no quit in this team, which is what I love.”
When Will Hornets Get Healthy?
Charlotte didn’t have Ball, Miller, or Cody Martin didn’t play during last night’s 106-94 loss to Oklahoma City. All three players are considered game-time decisions for Monday’s home contest versus Chicago.
Miller’s ankle injury is perhaps the most concerning. Last night marked the fourth time in the past five games that Miller sat out due to the injury. Miller has shown improvement this year, though he probably needs not to try to do so much. He has already missed eight games.
Martin missed his first games of the season last night because of a knee injury. The two-way forward is having a career season and is a steadying force.
Ball is dealing with an ankle and wrist combination. It was the 23-year-old’s ninth absence of the season. On a positive note, Ball was listed as questionable against the Thunder before being ruled out.
Tre Mann Update
Even more promising news is that Mann may be getting closer to returning. He has missed the past 16 games (18 total)with a lower back injury. Mann was able to work out before the Thunder game.
“I think that he’s made some positive steps,” Lee said. “I was joking with him (Friday). It looked like he had a little more pep in his step, and so I was glad to see that.
Mann has played well since being acquired from the Thunder in the Gordon Hayward trade. He averages a career-best 14.1 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 13 games. He also drains 1.8 threes with a shooting split of 43.5/40/93.5.
Mann could return against the Bulls. On December 15, the Hornets said that Mann would be reevaluated in two weeks, which likely will be tomorrow.
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