Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller remains sidelined with quadriceps contusion

The Charlotte Hornets knew center Cody Zeller’s leg injury was no nagging little ailment.

After Zeller was kneed in his right quadricep Jan. 23 against the Washington Wizards, head athletic trainer Steve Stricker warned coach Steve Clifford that there would be much pain and Zeller would likely miss more than a game or two.

Zeller hasn’t played or fully practiced since that collision. He rode an exercise bike Monday while the Hornets practiced at Portland’s Moda Center. Clifford said at shootaround Tuesday that Zeller would definitely miss the game against Portland and likely Wednesday’s road game against the Golden State Warriors.

What is so problematic about this injury?

“The problem initially was kind of the swelling. My whole leg had bruising from my knee to my hip,” Zeller told the Observer Tuesday.

“I wore a compression sleeve to flush out some of that swelling, but it turned into bruising and that was crazy. The swelling went all the way down into my calf and my foot, just from the gravity carrying it down.

“It was definitely a bad shot I took. And it’s frustrating the way we haven’t won the past few.”

The Hornets left for Portland and this three-game West Coast trip on a four-game losing streak. They have lost 11 of their past 15 games and have dropped below .500 at 23-25.

The Trail Blazers (21-28) are the only opponent on this trip with a losing record. The other two games are against the Golden State Warriors (41-7), with the best record in the NBA, and the Utah Jazz (30-19), fourth in the Western Conference.

The Hornets are struggling and Zeller’s absence is a factor. The team is 1-9 this season when he missed (although he acknowledges that is somewhat a function of who the Hornets played in his absence; those nine losses include defeats to elite teams Golden State, San Antonio and Houston.).

“The problem is getting my quad back to firing,” Zeller said, “and getting back a little bit of agility. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon.”

Obviously, Zeller’s absence hurts the Hornets’ depth. Roy Hibbert has been thrust into the starting role to mixed results. Spencer Hawes has played well lately as Hibbert’s backup, averaging 9.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the three games prior to Portland.

Asked what the Hornets miss most when Zeller doesn’t play, Clifford mentioned team defense and Zeller’s strong roll game offensively, particularly when in pick-and-rolls with guard Nic Batum.

“Coach talks about that a lot – how it collapses the defense even when I don’t score,” said Zeller, who signed a four-year, $56 million contract extension in October.

“I try to get the team going energy-wise. I think my screen setting is one of my most valuable assets to the team. I just try to get Kemba (Walker) and Nic going to the rim and finding the open man.

“I think we play a little faster when I’m in the lineup. But Spencer has played well in my absence.”

Fourth-quarter defense

Clifford was asked Tuesday what must change to get the Hornets out of this slump. He pinpointed fourth-quarter defense.

Clifford noted that while the Hornets are seventh among 30 NBA teams in in fourth-quarter offensive efficiency, they are 20^th in fourth-quarter defensive efficiency.

“(The fourth) has been our weakest defensive quarter,” Clifford said. “That’s what has to turn around, particularly to win on the road.”

The Hornets entered this trip on a seven-game road losing streak.

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller remains sidelined with quadriceps contusion."