It’s been a rough week for the Charlotte Hornets. First, coach Steve Clifford had to take a leave of absence from the team for personal health reasons. Stephen Silas gets welcomed to the big coaching chair by having to go against the Golden State Warriors, and a fully unleashed Kevin Durant. Now comes this:
Backup center Cody Zeller has suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee, the team announced Thursday. Zeller is out indefinitely as is considering his treatment options, according to the team (surgery is possible depending on the type and severity of the tear). The injury occurred in the third quarter against the Warriors Wednesday.
Zeller is giving the Hornets nearly 20 minutes a night off the bench, and he’s been solid in that role averaging 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds a night. He plays around the basket, 75 percent of his shots come at the rim, but he has struggled this season to finish a little and is shooting just 50 percent inside the restricted area.
With Zeller out, expect to see a lot more Johnny O’Bryant and Treveon Graham.
The Hornets also announced that forward Frank Kaminsky suffered a sprained right ankle against Golden State and is out for Friday’s game against Chicago. He is day-to-day after that.
All of this is another blow for a 9-14 Hornets team that is fighting to get back into the playoff picture in the East. They need to find more consistent offense, and losing key rotational big men is not going to help that.