Hornets to be without four starters Wednesday night versus Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte has an uphill battle ahead of them against the visiting Nets.
Jan 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA;  Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Jan 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
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Wednesday evening's game at Spectrum Center against the Brooklyn Nets will be a challenging one for Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee to navigate, thanks to injuries piling up once again.

Center Mark Williams will sit this one out as the team continues to be cautious with his left foot. His designation is labeled as "injury management." He recorded 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. For the month of January, Williams is averaging 18.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. This leaves Taj Gibson and Moussa Diabate as the only two centers available.

Point guard LaMelo Ball will also miss this game, just two days after stepping on the foot of Jarred Vanderbilt, spraining his ankle. The team announced Tuesday evening that he is still being evaluated and that an update on his status will be made at the appropriate time.

Wing Cody Martin remains out but had his injury designation changed from "core tightness" to "sports hernia." Depending on the severity of the injury, it could alter the Hornets' ability to move Martin ahead of the trade deadline, if that's something they were looking to do.

Josh Green will miss his first game in a while due to right foot soreness, meaning Miles Bridges will be the only starter available. You can expect a starting lineup of Vasilije Micic, Nick Smith Jr., Josh Okogie, Bridges, and Taj Gibson.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

schuylercallihan(at)gmail.com  Twitter:@Callihan_ Schuyler Callihan is the lead publisher of Mountaineers Now, All Panthers, and All Hornets on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. He took over publishing duties of All Panthers in 2020 and wanted to expand his professional coverage in the Queen City by running the operations at All Hornets. Schuyler attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia before finishing up his schooling at Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina. The Wheeling, West Virginia native made the move to North Carolina in 2015 and has been in Charlotte since 2021.