Malik Monk goes down with injury just as the Charlotte Hornets need him most
That the Charlotte Hornets lost decisively to the Brooklyn Nets is no big deal, even if the game was nationally televised.
Here is the big deal: They scored a season-low 89 points and might be without Malik Monk for a while after he sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter.
Hornets coach James Borrego knew the offense would suffer when rookie star LaMelo Ball broke his wrist March 20. The Hornets wouldn’t maintain the fast pace they had previously this season, and thus wouldn’t get nearly so many easy transition scoring opportunities.
But the defense improved since Ball was injured, and the Hornets managed to go 4-1 in his absence. They muddled by with some grit and just enough points.
Then, they were absolutely dreadful offensively in the first quarter Thursday, scoring 11 points, their season low for any quarter this season. This game became a write-off (final score Nets 111, Hornets 89), so Borrego started subbing out starters midway through the fourth quarter.
Monk isn’t a starter, but he was just coming back from two games out with a foot injury. When he came down hard in the lane, you could see his right ankle buckle. He couldn’t put weight on his right leg when he got up and two teammates had to help him off the court.
‘Not too severe’ sounds less than promising
The Hornets didn’t project anything about Monk’s condition beyond the obvious — right ankle sprain. But the implications seemed obvious.
“I feel bad for the kid. He’s been battling, he’s given us a tremendous lift this season,” Borrego said of Monk. “So hopefully it’s not too severe.”
“Not too severe” sure sounds like Monk won’t play Friday against the Indiana Pacers, and I suspect it could be well beyond that before he returns.
Monk has been valuable for more than a month as the Hornets’ best second-unit scorer. He is all the more important now with Ball’s injury moving Devonte Graham back into the starting lineup. Ball being out has meant Cody Martin playing more, and while Martin is the Hornets’ best defender, he’s certainly not instant offense.
Brad Wanamaker to the rescue?
After the game, Borrego said Monk’s potential absence could mean more minutes for Brad Wanamaker, the veteran point guard who came recently from Golden State at the trade deadline.
Wanamaker is solid and a quick learner, but I don’t see him as much of a scorer. This is an important stretch to the Hornets’ playoff chances: They play the Pacers on Friday and the Boston Celtics on Sunday — two Eastern Conference teams they currently top in the standings.
It’s fun to say the Hornets are still fourth in the Eastern Conference at 24-23. However, that’s fragile; they are only 1 1/2 games better than eighth.
Even without injured stars James Harden and Kevin Durant, the East-leading Nets showed the Hornets how different they are from mid-pack teams.
“They did such a good job of punching us in the face first,” Graham said. “You throw (Thursday) away, and you move on.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
