The Charlotte Hornets have been bit by the injury bug in the early aughts of the 2024-25 season, and it turns out that a previous bite is going to sting a little bit longer.
On Tuesday afternoon the team announced that backup turned starting center Nick Richards will be unavailable longer than originally anticipated.
Nick Richards injury update
Charlotte said this about Richards: “MRI results on center Nick Richards revealed a right first rib cartilage fracture, underneath his clavicle, suffered after an on-court collision in the first half vs. the Boston Celtics on Nov. 1 2024. The fifth-year veteran will be listed as out against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 6 and will be evaluated on an every other week basis to monitor progress towards his return to basketball activity with the next update on his status expected following the team’s Nov. 17 road trip.”
Richards was forced into starting action due to the long-term absence of Mark Williams, and he was performing admirably in the starter’s stead. Richards was averaging career-highs in points (11.0), rebounds (10.0) and blocks (2.4) in this season’s early action.
What this means for the Charlotte Hornets
Expect the team to make a move to fortify their interior in the coming days. Charlotte’s size has been decimated due to the injuries to Williams and Richards, and now that the former Kentucky Wildcat’s absence is deemed to be longer-term than expected, Charlotte needs to add reinforcements to their stable of big men.
Grant Williams and Taj Gibson have split the starting center duties in Richard’s two absences, and a combination of those two, Tidjane Salaün, and Moussa Diabate have manned the fort. The Hornets will be short on size on Wednesday and going forward, leaving the team vulnerable to performances like Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid’s masterclasses from Monday night. Charlotte’s next action will be on Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center against the Detroit Pistons.
