Expect the Hornets to be without Gordon Hayward for quite a while
Gordon Hayward’s return from a two-week absence didn’t last long.
The Charlotte Hornets are going to be without their starting small forward indefinitely due to a left ankle injury Hayward suffered in Monday night’s loss to Toronto. An MRI taken Tuesday revealed sprained ligaments and the Hornets said updates on his status will be provided as appropriate.
One league source told The Observer that Hayward could be out for upward of a month as he recovers and goes through rehabilitation.
Hayward got awkwardly rolled up on by Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. and fell while the two were tangled going for a rebound. Hayward lay writhing in pain while play continued for another possession before play finally stopped. He limped to the locker room and had an X-ray after the game, which was negative. But further tests gave them a better gauge of the severity and they aren’t going to have their key piece for a while.
“There’s major concern there,” coach James Borrego said following Tuesday’s practice. “Absolutely. Anytime Gordon goes out it’s a major concern. We lost him for two weeks and that put a strain on us. Hopefully, it’s not two weeks. But it could be. it could be beyond that. We just don’t know. But we’ve been here before. We were here last year. We were just without him for two weeks. We’ve got to respond. It’s a great opportunity for somebody to step into that.”
Still, Hayward’s calming, veteran influence will be missed. He was just returning and trying to work himself back into a rhythm after sitting out for six games — three due to right foot soreness and the rest while he was caught up in the league’s health and safety protocols. He scored just seven points in his first game back against Cleveland on Friday and went scoreless the next night for the first time in his Hornets’ career, misfiring on all seven attempts.
But his importance goes beyond scoring and his loss is yet another blow for the Hornets, who just can’t get back to full strength for more than a game or two. They now must rely on some of their younger, less experienced players as they try to hold on in the Eastern Conference standings. They are entrenched in the ninth spot, which would have them in the play-in tournament again if they can’t climb back up to spot any higher than seventh.
“Well, we’ve got to play who’s available,” Borrego said. “There’s nothing we can do about it there. I don’t want to override these guys or put more strain on them. (Monday) night, I can’t consistently play Melo (Ball) 44 minutes, Terry (Rozier) 40 and Miles (Bridges) 42. That’s just not sustainable. That’s dangerous territory from a physical standpoint. So I’ve got to trust the group moving forward and trust these young guys to get us through.”
There isn’t much choice. Besides Hayward, the Hornets are also without Jalen McDaniels and Cody Martin. And James Bouknight appears on track to miss his second straight game.
“Again, this is a wonderful opportunity for these young men to go play and play within a portion of the season in which you are still in the mix here,” Borrego said. “This is not, ‘We’re out of the mix.’ These are meaningful games that young guys get to experience. We are right in the mix, we are in the hunt. We’re over .500, we’ve put ourselves in a good position. Now these young guys have an opportunity to impact winning while still in this race. So, I see that as a blessing for those young men.”
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 7:36 PM.
