The Charlotte Hornets have accomplished an admiral job of dealing with outsized NBA competitors with their undersized inside, however their days of missing measurement look like coming to an finish. In keeping with Hornets PR, Nick Richards and Mark Williams are each progressing of their return to play packages.
Former Kentucky Wildcat Richards got here out of the gates weapons blazing. Richards had compiled three straight double-doubles, the final being a career-best efficiency of 24 factors and 12 rebounds for the massive man, earlier than injuring his ribs in a loss to the Boston Celtics on November 11. He hasn’t performed since that day, however in keeping with the workforce, he has entered the subsequent section of his rehabilitation.
Williams, a former first-round draft select of Duke, hasn’t touched an NBA courtroom in almost a 12 months. A again harm ended his 2023-24 season prematurely, whereas a foot harm in coaching camp saved him off the ground for the primary few weeks of 2024-25. His streak of missed video games is the longest amongst present energetic gamers, however a return to play is imminent. Charles Lee has stated for weeks that Williams has been working individually in each observe and {that a} return to workforce actions could be the subsequent step in his rehab sport, which we now know has taken place in current days.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets Facilities Nick Richards (proper first rib fracture) and Mark Williams (left foot tendon pressure) continued to progress by harm rehabilitation and returned to group and workforce actions. (1/2)
– Charlotte Hornets Public Relations (@HornetsPR) November 21, 2024
The return of 1 or each will present an enormous increase to Charlotte’s protection. The Hornets have struggled on that finish of the ground because of their measurement, and inserting a seven-footer into the beginning lineup (and one other on the bench) will certainly resolve a few of their points.
Charles Lee’s workforce performed with unmatched effort and depth each evening, however they will solely mitigate their lack of peak in opposition to larger-than-life opponents. Two gamers specifically, Grant Williams and Moussa Diabaté, have performed important minutes on the courtroom for Charlotte whereas Richards and Williams are on the mend, which means their roles ought to change drastically when the 2 struggling large males return.
Charles Lee’s Hornets workforce has accomplished an admiral job of mitigating its lack of measurement. Moussa Diabaté’s eye-opening efficiency and Grant Williams’ constant play steadied the rocky ship that’s Charlotte’s taking part in subject. It is cheap to count on Grant to slip extra right into a reserve position supporting each Miles Bridges on the 4 and Mark Williams and Nick Richards on the 5, whereas Diabaté will proceed to mess around 20 minutes per evening on the Charlotte bench.
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