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The Charlotte Hornets kept pace in a competitive Eastern Conference this season and as a result, earned the final play-in tournament spot in the conference as the 10-seed. Like all of the other teams in the postseason field, injuries are a major factor to take into the consideration for this group.
The only notable absence for the Hornets in the play-in tournament this week will be veteran forward Gordan Hayward. The former All-Star has been mostly sidelined for the last two months with a foot injured and on Sunday, it was announced that he’d continue to be out indefinitely with the ailment. His lone appearance since February was on April 2, where he logged five points and four assists against the 76ers.
Hayward had been a solid piece for Charlotte prior to the injury, averaging 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Barring a surprise deep run by the Hornets past the first round, it’s likely that we’ve seen the last of Hayward this season.