It is that their newest franchise star, Brandon Miller, walked off the court in pain just days after signing the biggest deal in team history. Miller exited Friday night’s game against Boston with right groin soreness, The team suffered a 119-80 defeat, leaving its roster in crisis.
A Star In Pain
Miller scored eight points early on but started walking gingerly after an alley-oop play in the first quarter. He eventually left the game midway through the second quarter while the Hornets trailed 47-23. Head coach Charles Lee admitted the signs were clear before the substitution. “To be honest, I saw him start to limp a couple of plays. He was good, then he asked for a sub. We’ll evaluate him over the weekend, and we’ll have more information on Monday,” Lee said.
Miller has been the bright spot in a dark season. The young forward is putting up career highs of 22 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Yet he is also in a deep shooting slump, hitting just 36% of his field goals and 26.7% from three-point range according to Yahoo Sports. The team signed him to a five-year, $209 million contract extension last month, the largest in franchise history, because they view him as the core piece to build around after trading LaMelo Ball.
A Roster Riddled With Injuries
The Hornets were already without Kon Knueppel for Friday’s clash due to a hamstring problem. After missing the first eight games of the season, Knueppel left the ninth due to leg soreness and sat out this contest as well. With Miller and Knueppel out, the team is down to Royce O’Neale, Tidjane Salaun, and rookie Hannes Steinbach as their only forwards.
Offensive struggles were rampant. The Hornets shot just 22% from three-point range, converting only 11 of their 50 attempts. In stark contrast, Boston finished with 24 made three-pointers on 55% shooting from deep. Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with a game-high 34 points in 29 minutes. Naz Reid, Tidjane Salaun, and Sion James were the only Hornets players to score in double figures.
The Road Ahead Looks Hard
The team’s record has slipped to 3-6 after this sixth consecutive loss. They trailed by as much as 46 points during the game. He now faces another evaluation for a groin issue that could sideline him, the player the team has built its future around.
Lee said he will give a more detailed update on Miller’s condition on Monday. Until then, the Hornets must survive without their top scorer and another key forward.
