Hornets lose a starter and a key reserve in Detroit, as playoff chase continues
The Charlotte Hornets have lost another starter and a key reserve as they chase a spot in the NBA playoff play-in tournament.
Small forward Cody Martin, who has started Charlotte’s last seven games, will miss Tuesday’s road game against the Detroit Pistons. So will backup point guard Devonte Graham, ruled out with ongoing right knee discomfort.
Martin sprained his left ankle in a hard fall in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Miami Heat. Graham played against the Heat Sunday after missing Saturday’s home game against the Pistons; Graham suffered a knee contusion against the Boston Celtics last Wednesday.
Martin leaped to defend a shot along the baseline by Miami’s Trevor Ariza. Since Martin made contact with Ariza’s head on the play, Martin was charged with a flagrant foul.
Martin couldn’t walk on his left ankle after that fall and had to be helped off the court. He did not return to the game.
Tuesday could be the Hornets’ 21st different starting lineup this season. They are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 31-33, looking to secure their first post-season appearance since 2016.
The Hornets are already shorthanded at small forward; Gordon Hayward has been out since April 2 with a sprained right foot. While he is no longer in a walking boot, Hayward doesn’t appear close to a return to playing.
Hornets coach James Borrego considers Martin the Hornets’ best defender, particularly along the perimeter. That was key to Borrego’s decision to move Martin into the starting lineup, with scorers Hayward, LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk all out at the time.
“He sets the tone for our defense. He brings great energy and physicality at the start of games. That’s the No. 1 thing,” Borrego said recently of Martin.
“He does not take one possession off. He’s got to exhaust himself every single night in how he defends. That’s why he’s in that first group and he’s got to bring that every night.”
Martin is a factor in the Hornets’ defense switching frequently this season, since at 6-7 he can guard anyone from a point guard to a power forward, and occasionally centers, too.
With Martin out and Hayward not available, Borrego’s logical options to start at small forward would be Jalen McDaniels and Martin’s twin brother, Caleb. McDaniels started the nine games prior to being replaced by Martin, and continues playing regular minutes as a reserve at both forward spots.
Caleb Martin has played only 14 minutes in the past six games, with Borrego shortening his rotation and Ball and Monk returning from injury.
Gordon Hayward’s status
Hayward suffered that sprained foot April 2 against the Indiana Pacers, and was in a protective walking boot until the past few days.
Borrego said Sunday that Hayward has not yet been able to do much on-court activity.
“I don’t really have any updates on him, other than he’s progressed to be out of the boot. Where that takes us, I just don’t know,” Borrego said. “When he becomes available live (to practice and play), we just don’t know at this point.”
Small ball is a likely option
With Ball and Monk back, Borrego has the option to go small on the perimeter with three-guard lineups. He experimented with that earlier this season and said to expect more as the Hornets close out the last eight games of the regular season.
There are numerous combinations that could go between Ball, Monk, Terry Rozier and Graham when he is back. While that makes the Hornets smaller and sometimes it’s difficult to match up defensively, it puts multiple scorer/playmakers on the court, which causes predicaments defensively for opposing teams.
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Hornets lose a starter and a key reserve in Detroit, as playoff chase continues."
