Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington will be out through Christmas after suffering a fractured finger, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The rookie sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of their 83-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Charlotte Hornets rookie PJ Washington is expected to be sidelined through Christmas with a fractured finger, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hornets play five games in that stretch.
One of the early surprise stories of the NBA this season, PJ Washington has quietly been a key contributor for the Hornets through their first 25-plus games. Noy expected to play a big role right away, Washington has started all 28 games Charlotte has played this season. The Kentucky product had notched 13 points and 10 rebounds through the first three quarters against Chicago before fracturing his finger.
Though Washington has been productive for the Hornets this season, it hasn’t really translated into success for the team. Though their current 12-16 mark is better than where most projections had them going into the season, they remain a ways away from becoming a real threat in the East.
That moment could come eventually though, and the Hornets have a solid collection of young players to help them get there. Guard Devonte’ Graham has been another stellar surprise for Charlotte this season while Miles Bridges and free-agent acquisition Terry Rozier also have plenty of potential.
On the season, Washington has been averaging 12.3 points and over five rebounds per game in less than 30 minutes of playing time. Having those numbers absent from your lineup will certainly hurt Charlotte’s offense, especially considering their lack of elite frontcourt talent. Expect Cody Zeller to continue to see opportunity while bench pieces such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo and Marvin Williams may also become more involved over the next couple weeks.
