The Charlotte Hornets are showing signs of improvement. After years of being in the basement of the Eastern Conference, the team has seen strong performances from LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Injuries have still been an issue for the team but they sit at 6-10 on the season. That record is only 1.5 games outside of 6th place in the conference. Their quest for a playoff spot just got a little harder because of injuries. Veteran forward Grant Williams was diagnosed with a devastating leg injury and will miss the rest of the season.
Charlotte Hornets Lose Grant Williams For The Year
The Charlotte Hornets acquired Grant Williams at the trade deadline last year in the trade that sent PJ Washington to Dallas. He played well for the team and added a tough veteran presence to the team. Late in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks last night, Williams drove to the basket but landed awkwardly on his leg. He immediately knew something was wrong. He attempted to limp to the sidelines but could not make it. Trainers had to help him to the locker room as he could not put any weight on his right leg.
The diagnosis came through this morning. Grant Williams tore basically every ligament in his knee. His ACL, meniscus, and all the surrounding ligaments are damaged, and he will miss the rest of the season. This is devastating news for the Charlotte Hornets. His numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet. On the season, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. However, he would often do the little things defensively and was a veteran locker-room presence on a young team.
Who Needs To Step Up?
Some young players will get an opportunity to step up for the Charlotte Hornets. Moussa Diabate, the 22-year-old out of Michigan, will likely see more work moving forward. He has already played minutes because of the injury to Mark Williams. While he isn’t a scoring option, his defense and rebounding have been huge over the past few games. The scoring is likely not the issue. Ball dropped 50 on the Bucks last night, and Miller had a huge 38-point outburst earlier in the week.
Ultimately, the team needs to get all of their players available. This is what will help them more on the court. The impact of the injury is likely the locker room presence. One of the issues the Charlotte Hornets have had over the past few years is they are an immature team. Can the team overcome the injury and make a push for the playoffs this year?
