Unfortunately, the Charlotte Hornets may have to brace for the possibility of Brandon Miller missing at least a couple of weeks due to his shoulder injury.
It has been revealed that Miller sustained a shoulder subluxation and that a further evaluation will be done when the Hornets return from their road trip. That means the full extent of the ailment will only be known after a few days. They play the Miami Heat on Tuesday before finally heading home.
The good news is that the Hornets mainstay did not suffer a complete shoulder dislocation. However, even a subluxation, or a partial dislocation, may take a few weeks to fully heal, depending on the diagnosis.
One of the most prominent players to have experienced it was Stephen Curry back in the 2022-23 season. The Golden State Warriors superstar ended up missing three weeks of action — a total of 11 games.
The hope is that Miller's current case is not as bad, but given the circumstances and the team's bad luck with the injury bug in the past years, it might be better for Charlotte to prepare for the worst.
Hornets just can't catch a break
It's just sad that every year, at least one of the team's cornerstones has had to deal with a major injury. This season might not be different after all. Even just around a dozen contests is already too much, especially considering how potent the Hornets have proven to be, albeit in a small sample size, when they are almost completely healthy.
Their dominant win against the Brooklyn Nets in their season opener saw nine players score in double-digits, with Miller leading the pack with 25 points. The squad nearly defeated the Philadelphia 76ers during the night he suffered the shoulder injury, but it could not execute well in crunch time.
On Sunday, Charlotte managed to dominate the Washington Wizards, thanks in large part to LaMelo Ball's statement game.
Things likely won't be as easy for the Hornets in the coming weeks, though, as they are set to face tougher opponents. Having Miller carry a significant part of the offensive load would have helped them keep up with the competition.
The exact timeline of his recovery is yet to be known. But if he really has to sit out plenty of matches as anticipated, other guys will have to step up. Let's see if Collin Sexton, Kon Knueppel, and Tre Mann are up to the task.