The Charlotte Hornets have been hit hard by the injury bug in the early days of the 2024-25 NBA season. The latest setback comes in the form of a significant injury to center Nick Richards. On Tuesday, the team announced that Richards will be sidelined indefinitely due to an injury suffered in the Hornets’ 124-109 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The injury was severe enough that Richards did not return for the second half of the contest. Following an MRI on Tuesday, it was revealed that he had a fracture in his first rib. The Nick Richards injury adds to the already full Charlotte Hornets injury report.
Charlotte Hornets in Trouble After Hornets Injury Report Grows
Hornets Injury Report
The Nick Richards injury adds to the problems the Hornets have already been dealing with regarding their center position. Mark Williams, the team’s starting center heading into the season, has been out with a foot injury. Williams is still in recovery and has yet to return to full basketball activity. The loss of both Richards and Williams leaves the Hornets incredibly thin in the middle.
More bad injury news: Nick Richards is out for an extended period with a cartilage fracture in his right first rib underneath his clavicle, #Hornets announce.
Richards will be reevaluated “every other week,” Hornets say, making it uncertain when the big man will return.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) November 5, 2024
Out of desperation, the Hornets have turned to a mix of role players and backups. Grant Williams and veteran Taj Gibson have taken on a share of the starting center duties. At the same time, other players like Moussa Diabate and rookie Tidjane Salaun will likely see increased play. The absence of a real big man is not going to help the Hornets stay off the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
What The Nick Richards Injury Means for the Hornets
This injury is a major blow to a team already struggling. Richards had been playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game this season. His absence will be felt.
39 year-old Taj Gibson started tonight for Charlotte, and in the first two minutes of the game he…
– hit a corner 3
– got an offensive rebound and put it back in
– got another offensive rebound and drew a foul pic.twitter.com/NIAXwE5nAF— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) November 5, 2024
Without Richards, the Hornets will really hurt on the defensive end. Offensively, they will sorely miss his rebounding and ability to create second-chance opportunities. His backup, Gibson, likely can’t play heavy minutes in his old age, and Diabate and Salaun are not ready to shoulder a heavy load either. Things may go downhill quickly for the Hornets.
What Lies Ahead for Charlotte
The Hornets are 2-5 and are currently on a three-game losing streak. They have yet to show the kind of consistency needed to climb into playoff contention. Their injury woes have only made things worse. The team will now need to dig deep to fill the gaps in their rotation. Charlotte will be without Richards for at least the next two weeks. The team is committing to evaluate his recovery on an “every other week” basis.
In the short term, Charlotte will need to rely on their other big men and hope that Williams can return sooner than expected to stabilize the center position. While the team’s frontcourt is thin, the Hornets will also be counting on their depth at other positions, especially from their best players Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball.
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