The Charlotte Hornets received unfortunate news in late November when Grant Williams was diagnosed with several tears in his right knee. His season ended after just 16 appearances, and it isn't unclear if he will also have to sit out the first months of the 2025-26 campaign.
Williams' toughness and leadership have certainly been missed. However, an arguably more difficult absence to overcome for the Hornets is Brandon Miller's.
Charlotte's rising star had been averaging 21.0 points and 3.9 3-pointers per game when it was announced that he would be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a season-ending injury to correct a part of his wrist that many people probably heard for the first time in their lives. Looking for someone to replace his production is a tall task for the Hornets.
Tre Mann might be the Hornets' third case of a season-ending injury this year
Perhaps if Tre Mann was healthy, the squad would have had someone to help take care of its offense without Miller. Before going down with an injury of his own in November, the combo guard put up 14.1 points per contest. His first five matches, though, saw him score 21.0 markers per match on 47.0 percent shooting. So, he definitely had the potential to be a lights-out scorer.
Sadly, Mann has yet to suit up again after logging one of his worst shooting nights in this campaign against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 21. A back soreness has kept him out since then, and it has been revealed that he is suffering from disc irritation.
There was hope that he can recover quickly enough to reinforce Charlotte's offensively challenged bench unit. In a concerning turn of events, though, the team failed to provide an update on his status earlier this month when he was supposedly due for a reevaluation. That led to folks wondering how severe Mann's ailment is.
On Friday, coach Charles Lee offered fresh information about his ward, and things look grim. According to Lee, Mann isn't where the performance team wants him to be, and the organization will continue to determine the best course of action to make sure the youngster makes headway in his recovery.
But with his progress stalling and the Hornets on the way to another losing season, it won't be surprising to see the franchise tread the safest route possible regarding its ace reserve. Maybe surgery is the ideal option for the 23-year-old guard, especially if it would help prolong his professional hoops career.
Of course, that would mean another season-ending injury for Charlotte after already losing Williams and Miller. But let's not jump to conclusions, as everything about Mann is still up in the air. Lee did say that a new update will be released at the appropriate time.