Doug Branson here, the host of the daily Locked On Hornets podcast, with your daily Locked On Hornets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Hornets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The Hornets Have a Big Man Crisis—Here’s What it Means for Tonight’s Matchup
Why It Matters Nick Richards’ indefinite sidelining with a fractured rib hits the Hornets where it hurts: depth at center. With Mark Williams still out, we’re looking at a rotation stretched thinner than ever. As fans hold their breath, this week’s games will test the team’s resilience and Coach Charles Lee’s adaptability in ways we didn’t expect this early in the season.
Injury Woes Continue Richards’ rib fracture is a bigger deal than it sounds. After shoulder issues during last Friday’s game, an MRI revealed a first rib fracture. The outlook? He’ll be re-evaluated every two weeks but remains out indefinitely. We’re running on fumes here. With Richards out, our small-ball lineup is stepping up—a risky move that forces everyone, from veterans like Taj Gibson to fresh faces like Moussa Diabate, to cover positions they weren’t meant to handle.
My Take: This is a big test for Lee. Fans are understandably frustrated, but expecting miracles from a coach with minimal backup options isn’t realistic. He’s left managing a lineup that’s rapidly cycling through players who weren’t in the plans for extended minutes.
Charles Lee’s Growing Pains Some fans are calling out Lee for the Hornets’ defensive issues and rotation choices. Specifically, his handling of LaMelo Ball—who’s had high turnovers and visible frustrations on the court—has raised eyebrows. But let’s be real: Lee’s hands are tied. He came in expecting a lineup with Mark Williams and consistent backups, not a revolving door of players trying to stay afloat against seasoned teams.
My Take: Criticizing Lee at this point is premature. He’s like a chef on Chopped, handed a basket of mismatched ingredients (injured players) and expected to make a five-star meal. For now, he’s keeping them competitive, even if the results are less than ideal.
Tonight’s Showdown: Hornets vs. Pistons Tonight, the Hornets face the Pistons, who have been surprising early in the season. This isn’t a game we can afford to lose. The Pistons bring physicality down low with players like Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, and they’re riding a recent winning streak against solid teams like the Lakers and 76ers.
The key will be shooting efficiency and rebounding. Our guards will need to stay sharp, especially LaMelo, who has a shot at a bounce-back performance after a rough game. Brandon Miller’s return could help, but we’ll need big contributions across the board to handle the Pistons’ size advantage.
Sports fandom has long been a vehicle of escape, basketball fandom perhaps even more so. If you’re someone who toggles between NBA and WNBA, then you’ll never have a break in games you can escape into. If you’re purely an NBA watcher, then the league has done its willful best to make its product one that runs all year round, even if the games themselves take a break. If you’re even a little online then you can find something NBA-related to get excited/upset/anxious/overworked about any day the year, even in the deepest dregs of August.
Escapism is fine as a temporary measure. There’s no person alive that doesn’t seek it out in some shape or form, sometime. In basketball fandom the dangers of treating the game, and the people who play it, as a pure means of escape run fairly parallel to the dangers of this political moment.
To lose sight of the humanity of athletes, to range on the spectrum of othering to nullification of their personhood; to assume a franchise has only your interests as its sole, driving concern. To put so much stake into the outcome of a game, a season, that anything outside of pure dominance and control is considered failure. To take on defeat as a personality trait and grow miserable, hostile, blame serving both as vitriolic release and an easy balm.
This is perhaps a clumsy attempt to address the U.S. election results last night in a newsletter about NBA basketball, but it seemed a perfect encapsulation of my point of blind escapism to write about OKC’s pestering defence, or Joel Embiid’s three game suspension after shoving a reporter, and make no mention of Donald Trump’s second ascension.
Basketball isn’t apolitical. No sport is, but the NBA hasn’t been for a long time. Shut up and dribble, stop-work protests in the Orlando Bubble led by athletes personally the target of police brutality, taking a knee. Even when it isn’t trying to be, it is, because it’s a game played by people and beyond that, predominantly Black men. In October 1979, when the Knicks paired their roster from 13 players down to 11 — a move required by league regulation — media and fans jumped on the move because the remaining team became the first all Black roster in the league. “White people have to have white heroes,” Cavs owner, Ted Stepien said at the time, “I myself can’t equate to Black heroes, I’ll be truthful. I respect them, but I need white people.”
Being the target of someone’s desire for escapism can be enough to turn something from the political to the personal, and vice versa. We’re seeing a new iteration of it now with the rise of sports betting and the blurring of boundaries between athletes and fans, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saw and put it succinctly in the early 1970s. “Out there, you’re a vector for all the hostility in the stands,” he said.
As a conduit for escape, there are no political prerequisites. Fandom isn’t barred from you based on your voting patterns. There may be an urge now, regardless of how you hoped (even as an observer, as I am) this election ended up, to burrow into basketball as escape, almost as a reflexive action. The distinct humanitarian fracturing at play not only in this election but on a global scale, this onus of “us vs.them”, or blame over solution (blame as solution), the narrowing of scope to only have your own interests at heart, is all a symptom of escapism. Just as it’s crucial as an engaged fan to not lose sight of an athlete’s personhood, the same goes, albeit on a decidedly more critical scale, in the wider world.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Honor Tre Mann emerges as a strong contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award, boosting the Hornets’ depth and performance. (Sports Illustrated)
Rumor Gilbert Arenas suggests LaMelo Ball might thrive with the Clippers, sparking debate about his fit with the Hornets. (Sports Illustrated)
Must Read Over the years, the NBA has learned to embrace activism and social justice. Read more. (TIME)
Legacy Reflecting on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s impact — here’s how he changed the rules for Black athletes. (National Endowment for the Humanities)
Analysis How did Sterling Brown get the NBA to listen to its players? (The Daily Beast)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Replacements For Jeremy Sochan & Aaron Gordon
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Ball Arena.|Photo by Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
As we gear up for another action-packed Wednesday with 12 NBA games, it’s crucial to stay updated on player statuses and potential fantasy basketball moves. Injuries are shaking up lineups, and knowing who to add or drop can make all the difference in your fantasy league.
Key Injuries and Player Additions
Aaron Gordon’s calf strain is a significant blow, sidelining him for an estimated four weeks. This opens up opportunities for Peyton Watson, who is expected to see increased minutes, making him a valuable addition to your roster. Julian Strawther might also benefit, but Watson is the priority pick.
Jeremy Sochan’s thumb fracture is another long-term injury, likely keeping him out for six to eight weeks. In his absence, Julian Champagnie emerges as a strong candidate for increased playing time. While Keldon Johnson might be a points league preference, Champagnie is a solid choice across formats.
Nick Richards is dealing with fractured rib cartilage, sidelining him for at least two weeks. With Mark Williams also out, the Hornets will likely start Taj Gibson, but he’s not a recommended fantasy add. Instead, keep an eye on Grant Williams, who could be a viable option in deeper leagues.
Game Previews and Strategic Considerations
The Detroit Pistons face the Charlotte Hornets, with the Hornets slightly favoured. Jalen Duren’s recent performances have been promising, but his minutes might be capped, allowing Isaiah Stewart to continue his role as a backup centre. Stewart’s current role suits him well, and he’s performing admirably in it.
For the Charlotte Hornets, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller’s dynamics are worth monitoring. Ball’s interactions with Charles Lee and Miller’s reduced minutes and shooting are areas of concern. Miles Bridges’ performance has been underwhelming, but improvement is expected.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Hornets podcasts.
Charlotte Hornets Face Big Man Crisis with Nick Richards Injury Plus Charles Lee Coaching Critiques With the Hornets facing a major setback after Nick Richards’ rib injury, the team’s frontcourt depth is in serious trouble. How will they adjust with both Richards and Mark Williams sidelined? In this episode of Locked On Hornets, we dig into the implications of this injury for Charlotte’s season and discuss Coach Charles Lee’s strategies under pressure.
LaMelo Ball & Charles Lee Clash in Latest Frustrating Charlotte Hornets Defeat Can the Hornets regroup after a blowout against the Timberwolves? The Charlotte Hornets faced their toughest loss of the season with a 114-93 blowout by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Once again LaMelo Ball’s fouls and turnovers were a story, leading to a VERY interesting public display of correction from Charles Lee and his star player. We explore how the absence of big men hurt Charlotte’s ability to handle Minnesota’s size and why the Hornets’ three-point attempts missed the mark. Is there hope for the Hornets to bounce back?
Can LaMelo Ball Solve Foul Trouble & Carry the Charlotte Hornets? Plus Bridges’ Shooting Woes LaMelo Ball is lighting up the scoreboard, but foul trouble is keeping him off the floor when the Hornets need him most.
