What now? Cody Zeller fractures hand in season opener, forcing Hornets to scramble at center
Charlotte's big man will miss time and the staff will have to find ways to fill his absence
In just one night, optimism transformed into anxiety. And uncertainty.
Losing their season opener to the Cavaliers 121-114 in Cleveland on Wednesday was tough enough for the Hornets, given the excitement and enthusiasm leading into their first true game in nine months. But knowing they are going to be without the services of Cody Zeller for an extended period of time certainly didn’t make it any easier to stomach.
Zeller fractured his left hand in the third quarter after appearing to collide with one of Cleveland’s big men, forcing Charlotte’s starting center to exit the game and not return. There’s no immediate timetable on how long Zeller will be out, but he’s expected to be sidelined for multiple games.
“Yeah, this sucks,” said Gordon Hayward, who had 28 points on 11 of 18 shooting in his Hornets’ debut. “I’ve been there multiple, different times. It’s really hard. So I think all of us need to be there for him. Certainly, I’m going to provide as much support as I can to him. He’s a huge part of what we do. We aren’t the same without him and hopefully the recovery process — I don’t know the story yet — but hopefully the recovery process isn’t terribly long.
“He’s a huge piece for us so it’s tough to see and I hope that whatever the outcome is, it’s like I said, he’s going to recover fully and it’s not that long.”
Although he’s not the flashiest guy, Zeller really does a lot for the Hornets — most of it unseen. His presence is great for setting screens, he helps on the boards, assists in trying to clog up the lane and can occasionally step outside the arc and nail a 3-pointer.
Replacing him isn’t going to be easy and coach James Borrego said they would need time to ultimately make a decision. He has a couple of days to figure it out because the Hornets don’t play again until Saturday when they host Oklahoma City in the home opener, which serves as a precursor to Sunday’s matchup with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center.
The most likely option for the Hornets is to move Bismack Biyombo into the starting lineup. Remember, he was on the floor for the opening tip off in 29 of the 53 games he appeared in last season. Biyombo’s insertion as a starter could pave the way for rookie Vernon Carey Jr. to slide into the mix with the second unit off the bench.
If the Hornets wanted to make a move to bring in some help, that’s also a possibility. They have an open roster spot, something GM Mitch Kupchak wanted to give him greater flexibility, and a little over $5 million in available salary cap space according to spotrac.
Whatever the case, the Hornets have to find some solutions against taller teams, particularly when they are utilizing the small-ball attack. Because getting pounded on the boards in the fashion they did in Cleveland (57-41) isn’t going to cut it.
“Obviously, rebounding was an issue,” Borrego said. “This is a team that’s big and physical. It’s been an issue for us going back to last season. But we’re going to have to address that internally. Externally I’m not sure. Mitch and I will have conversations going forward over the next day or two. Obviously, Cody is going to miss some time. But we need other guys to step up. I don’t know if that’s going to be the rookies or where we are going to find it. But we just need everybody collectively to step up because it was a problem again.
“We’ve got to be better there.”
Zeller’s injury and the stinging defeat overshadowed a brilliant performance by Terry Rozier. With the Hornets searching for a spark offensively, he made sure to provide it. Rozier had the arena nets scorching to the tune of a career-high 42 points.
Guess one could say he picked up, uh, where he left off. The last time we saw Rozier in a meaningful game, he was dropping in 40 points against the Hawks in Atlanta back in March. But he apparently loves playing in his hometown. The Ohio native averaged 32.5 points per game in his two outings in Cleveland a season ago, draining 6.5 3-pointers in the process.
“I’m upset that we didn’t come up with the win for our season opener,” Rozier said. “I’m going to do what I do back at the crib, but I’m just a little upset that we didn’t come away with the win. But it’s a long season and all the glory goes to my coaches and my teammates for allowing me to be special home.”
While Rozier was cooking, the Hornets’ first-round pick never got it going. LaMelo Ball went scoreless, misfiring on all five shots — including 0-for-3 beyond the arc — and posting three assists, two steals, a rebound and three turnovers.
“Disappointed because we didn’t win,” Ball said.
The good news for Ball and the Hornets? There are 71 games remaining in this abbreviated season.
“I told him, just forget this one,” Hayward said. “There are going to be so many nights where he is playing his game and playing really well. So I said don’t worry about this one at all. We all know the type of player that you are. Some days are diamond, some days are stones. And I think it’s something where it’s his first game and those things happen. But I have ultimate confidence in LaMelo and he’s going to be great player in this league for many, many years. So I think he’ll be all right.”
We’ll see if the same can be said about Zeller.
Biz does not have athleticism he once had which showed in the lack of rim protection. I would hate to give up the roster flexibility, but not confident the rookies are ready.