The Charlotte Hornets announced that forward Brandon Miller will remain out for the rest of the season with a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. Miller underwent surgery to repair the torn ligament, an injury he already missed the last three games with.
It’s a significant blow to the Hornets, who have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season. Miller now joins Grant Williams who is also out for the season with a torn ACL.
Miller was putting together an impressive season before the injury, averaging 21 points, nearly five rebounds and 3.6 assists. He showed major improvements from his rookie season a year ago, where he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Miller’s injury couldn’t come at a worse time, as the Hornets appeared to be finding their footing, after winning four of their last six games. With LaMelo Ball recently returning from injury, it felt like things were looking up for the Hornets, but this latest news certainly dampens things.
When Miller and Ball were healthy, the Hornets had a 116.1 offensive rating when they shared the floor, that’s a +7.9 difference compared to what the team averages on the season. The issue, though, is that they’ve only played 20 games together this season, which is part of the reason why the Hornets have only won 11 games to this point.
With Miller out for the season, the Hornets are now at a crossroads at the midway point with the trade deadline just two weeks away. Playoff expectations are incredibly unlikely, though only six games separate them and the 10th-placed Bulls for the final play-in spot. But even if Charlotte were to climb the standings, would it be worth it? They may not reach Wizards level of losing this season to land Cooper Flagg, but there are some quality players to be selected at the top of the draft order. This may be the thing that nudges the Hornets into the direction of full-on tank with half of the season lost already. They’ve got some players who could be seen as valuable on the trade market, and they already pulled the trigger on one move, sending Nick Richards to the Suns for Josh Okogie and some second-round picks.
Miller’s injury is incredibly bleak news, but it might give the Hornets some clarity on how to approach the rest of the season.
