After being sidelined with an ankle sprain, it appears like the Charlotte Hornets will shut down Johnny O’Bryant for the remainder of the season.
According to FantasyPros.com, “O’Bryant has missed nine games in a row so he’s likely done for the season.” The Charlotte Hornets‘ big man has missed nearly three weeks with an ankle injury that he suffered in early March. There is no timetable for his return so it is possible that Johnny could be done for the year.
O’Bryant originally joined the Hornets on a 10-day deal after they needed to add frontcourt depth. It was unclear if Charlotte planned to use him but due to multiple injuries to big men at the time, the 23-year old got his chance under Steve Clifford. He did enough to earn a second 10-day contract then eventually a two-year deal with a partial guarantee for the second season.
Even though he only appeared in four games with Charlotte before suffering a sprained ankle, the organization decided to sign him long-term. A breakout game against the Denver Nuggets where O’Bryant scored a career-high 15 points to go along with six rebounds was his most impressive performance with the team. Aside from that outing, the big man only scored a combined three points in the other three games (20 minutes).
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The former LSU Tiger is looking to stick with the Hornets after bouncing around the league a bit since being selected in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Since being waived by the Bucks in the summer of 2016, O’Bryant has played with the Washington Wizards (preseason only), the Northern Arizona Suns of the D-League and the Denver Nuggets on two 10-day deals.
Even if he misses the remainder of the year, Johnny will still get his chance to make Charlotte’s roster for next season. He will be able to play with the Hornets’ summer league team and compete for a spot during training camp/preseason. On a partially guaranteed deal for next year, it is unlikely that he makes the final 15-man roster but considering how impressive he was this season, O’Bryant could play his way into the rotation.
At only 23, the former McDonald’s All-American is another raw prospect for the Hornets. The 6’9 big man also gives the team some versatility as he can play at both the power forward and center positions. Although, he is better suited for the four spot.
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It will be interesting to see if O’Bryant does miss the rest of the season and if he does, he will be an interesting name to watch during the summer. It is disappointing that his year was cut short due to injury because Johnny’s play was promising for Charlotte.