After losing 13 of their past 14 games, the Charlotte Hornets can use all the help they can get right now. Injuries cannot be used as a reason behind their struggles anymore, although the lack of continuity has indeed been a problem for their hopes of fielding a competitive squad every game day.
The Hornets have two remaining guys who are set to be on the injury report for at least a week more, with Brandon Miller probably nearing a return. Tre Mann's status remains in question, as his ailment (disc irritation) has typically been tricky to manage. Meanwhile, Grant Williams won't see action for possibly a year after sustaining several tears in his right knee and undergoing season-ending surgery.
Charlotte has clearly missed both role players. Mann's ability to get buckets when the team's primary options are on the bench has been a significant loss. As for Williams, an argument can be made that his production is kind of replaceable. It's the other facets of his game that the Hornets badly miss.
Williams' intangibles have been difficult to replace for Hornets
Since the veteran forward went out, the Hornets' scoring has gone worse. In the 16 games he appeared in, they logged 110.6 points per contest. However, they have recorded just 101.2 points per match in their past 13 meetings.
Of course, Williams isn't an exceptional scorer, as he averaged just 10.4 points per game this season. But his ability to shoot decently (36.5 percent) from long distance at the power forward position and as a center in small-ball lineups has been a hole Charlotte has found difficult to fill.
In addition, he is one of only two Hornets' rotation players with a positive net rating. Moussa Diabate paces the team with +6.1, while Williams finished his 2024-25 campaign with +1.6.
The more important qualities of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville product Charlotte has sorely missed, though, are his toughness and leadership. It's unclear who has assumed the role of taking charge of his teammates on the court, as LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the Hornets' best players, don't appear to have manifested the traits Williams has exhibited.
There are free agents available in the market who can help replace the 26-year-old's contribution. However, it is more likely that the front office will look for help via trade. The Hornets do have several trade candidates who likely don't fit in their long-term plans and should swap for assets to cover for Williams' absence.