Charlotte Hornets: Sizing up the PJ Washington injury
By Luke Tucker
During Friday’s win over Chicago, Charlotte Hornets rookie PJ Washington suffered a fractured right pinkie finger.
The Charlotte Hornets squeaked out a hard-fought win in Chicago on Friday night, however, it turned out to be a costly victory. During the fourth quarter, rookie forward PJ Washington suffered a right hand injury, and upon further testing, a broken pinkie was revealed. The injury is expected to sideline Washington for approximately five games–with Sunday’s loss to the Pacers being the first. Washington has been a key player for the Hornets thus far, and his presence has been a big reason for Charlotte remaining in playoff contention.
Washington’s regular backup, Marvin Williams, is also currently dealing with an injury.
Normally if Washington were to go down, veteran Marvin Williams would slide into the starting lineup. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Williams is hurt as well. Sidelined since December 6th with right knee soreness, Charlotte still doesn’t have a definitive timeline on when the 33-year-old will return. To make matters worse, Nic Batum is currently dealing with an injury also. As a result, Cody Zeller was inserted into the starting lineup on Sunday in Indiana, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Martin also saw increased minutes.
Being without Washington, Williams, and Batum certainly hurts the Hornets offensively, however, Martin and Kidd-Gilchrist are known for their defense and can hold their own on that end especially. There’s a chance Miles Bridges could also see extended time at power forward. If Charlotte wants to have any hope at remaining in playoff contention, Washington and Williams need to return soon. If the Hornets fall out of contention, there’s a very good chance Williams, among others, could be traded elsewhere.
Charlotte’s games without Washington include three matchups with teams with records above .500.
Including Sunday’s loss to the Pacers, three of the five games the Hornets are expected to be without Washington are against teams with records of .500 or better. Those teams include the aforementioned Pacers, the Celtics, and the Utah Jazz. The other two teams Charlotte will face off against over that span are the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers–both winnable games for the Hornets. Washington currently ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game, and is second on the team in rebounding. He has also been a surprisingly efficient three-point shooter in his first year in the league.
Prior to the injury, Washington had become one of the leading candidates for the Rookie of the Year award.
Through his first 28 NBA games, Washington has done plenty to throw his name into the Rookie of the Year conversation. In his very first game, Washington set the record for most three-pointers made in a player’s NBA debut, while also shattering the Hornets’ franchise record for most points in a rookie debut. Currently, he ranks ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, fifth in steals, and fifth in blocks among rookies. Perhaps no other rookie has been as all-around impressive as Washington has. With that being said, Charlotte is having to fill-in for one of its best and most crucial two-way players. Get well soon, PJ, the Hornets need you.