The Charlotte Hornets are playing fairly well to begin the 2025-26 NBA season. Brandon Miller was recently forced to exit a game after suffering an apparent injury, however. On Monday, it was revealed that Miller suffered left shoulder subluxation. He will likely miss at least a couple of weeks with the injury. The Miller injury was not the only news the Hornets recently received, though.
Charlotte is 2-1 to begin the new campaign. Heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Miami Heat, the team will be short-handed. There are currently seven total players listed on the Hornets' injury report.
Miller is out due to his aforementioned shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Josh Green (left shoulder surgery) and Grant Williams (right knee surgery) are both out, while Drew Peterson, Antonio Reeves and KJ Simpson are out due to G League two-way assignments. Additionally, Tre Mann's status is uncertain, as he is listed as questionable due to a jaw contusion.
The Hornets are hopeful that Mann will be available, but nothing is certain at the moment. He has averaged 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per outing through the first three games of the season. He has made an impact while averaging just over 18 minutes per outing off the bench. Charlotte will provide updates on Mann's injury status before tip-off.
Hornets do not want injuries to stop early season momentum
It has been a respectable start to the new season for a Charlotte team that is not expected to contend this year. LaMelo Ball is playing at a high level and Kon Knueppel is living up to his preseason hype. Sure, a 2-1 start does not guarantee a postseason position, but it is a strong way to kick off the year.
Injuries have negatively impacted the team over the past few years, however. Charlotte has been rebuilding and the team probably would not have contended even if they were completely healthy, but finding chemistry due to injuries is challenging. The last thing the Hornets need is another campaign that is defined by the injury bug.
The Hornets are hoping that the injuries will not tell the story of the 2025-26 campaign. It is already a problem, but perhaps the team can get and stay healthy down the road. They are hoping that happens sooner rather than later.
The Hornets and Heat will play on Tuesday night in Miami. Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST.