Is Charlotte’s NBA team cursed? Hornets respond to assertion franchise can’t catch a break
If there’s a black cloud hovering over Spectrum Center, Charles Lee certainly is impervious to it.
Despite the latest dose of deflating injury news, after an MRI confirmed a strained left hamstring for recent acquisition Josh Okogie, the Charlotte Hornets coach refused to be downtrodden. While some playoff-starved fans think Okogie’s injury — which will sideline him for at least the next three weeks — further fuels the theory the Hornets are cursed, Lee holds a different perspective.
Even if he’s been forced to use 23 different starting lineups in 45 games during his first season in charge and lost another player in Vasa Micić to injury in Saturday night’s 107-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
“I would say, it’s not, ‘Whoa is me, why is this happening to me?’” Lee said. “I think (it’s), ‘What can we learn from this?’ And we are learning a ton from our group and how we can best position ourselves to try to prevent some of these injuries that are happening. Unfortunately, some are just part of the game. It’s out of our control.
“And some are soft tissue. Can we think about how we are preparing in the offseason and things like that. Our sports performance staff, I would put up there with anybody in any of the championship-caliber organizations I’ve been around. … We’ll continue to get better and better in that regard, and hopefully we won’t have some of these that are just part of the game.”
Charlotte ranks seventh in the NBA in player games missed due to injury with 189 and is surely about to increase those numbers. Micić limped off the court in the third quarter after turning his ankle and couldn’t put any weight on his leg as he hopped straight into the locker room.
“My mindset with that is controlling what we can control,” Miles Bridges said. “Injuries happen. Us and the (New Orleans) Pelicans — last year it was the (Memphis) Grizzlies — go through a lot of injuries. We’ve been going through it for years, but I wouldn’t say it’s a curse or anything. But we’ve just got to stay positive and I feel like this is preparing us for something bigger here.”
Mark Willams had a similar view when it comes to chatter about the franchise.
“What are we supposed to say?” Williams said. “We are doing everything we can in the weight room, warm up, whatever. It’s just unfortunate. I think it’s just tough. It is what it is. There’s not really much more I can say beyond that. It sucks.”
Okogie’s name has also been added to a lengthy list headlined by LaMelo Ball, who sprained his left ankle in Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Factor in Tre Mann (back disc irritation), who’s been out since Nov. 21 with no timetable for a return, along with Brandon Miller (wrist surgery) and Grant Williams (torn ACL) each out for the season, and the Hornets have been constantly bitten by the injury bug.
It’s led to the constant lineup shuffling and should Lee have to alter things again, he won’t have Okogie at his disposal until after the All-Star break later in February.
“Unfortunate for Josh,” Lee said. “I think that we’ve all seen and felt his impact very quickly here. Jeff (Peterson, the Hornets’ president of basketball operations) and his group have done a great job of identifying the right talent and human being that needs to be a part of this group, and he definitely fits that bill. It’s unfortunate for him. I know our team will continue to have that next man up mentality.
“They all work hard and prepare, so I think the guys will be ready to step up. We’ll see what happens with him for the next three weeks, but again, because he just embodies all the right things, he’s going to attack his rehab plan really aggressively, as he should. We’ll see what he looks like in three weeks.”
In a season that’s had plenty of numbing twists and turns, and loaded with losing streaks, who knows how things will look with the Hornets when Okogie does return, especially with the NBA’s trade deadline looming on Thursday. Inconsistency is something they’ll have to continually address in the meantime, regardless of who’s available.
“It’s obviously been an up and down of results, but I think for the most part our competitive spirit has been there,” Lee said. “I feel like each game has brought about a different aspect of our team. Our defense has been there some nights and the offense hasn’t really followed suit or it’s been vice versa. So, I thought (against the LA Clippers), it was probably one of our more complete games where we had things clicking for us.
“New Orleans, obviously we had both things clicking for us, and when we do we are a really good team. I think we can match up with anybody. I feel like our process has continued to improve and the results will follow.”
Eventually. At least that’s the Hornets’ hope anyway.
“With all the adversity we have been going through, I feel like it’s preparing us for something bigger,” Bridges said. “I’ve always got a positive mindset and that’s the reason I came back to the Hornets. I think we have everything we need to be a great team, a playoff team one day. And I still believe it. So, I’m going to continue to push these guys and just continue to grow as a leader.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 7:24 PM.
