The Charlotte Hornets have been without their two main centers, Mark Williams and Nick Richards, through the first 14 games of the season so far. Williams has yet to play a game in the 2024-25 season with his foot issues while Richards has appeared in five games. In those games, he’s averaging 11 points and 10 boards with 2.4 blocks per game, which are all career highs.
Recently both bigs have been seen on the floor taking part in group and team activities.
Charles Lee is glad to see the progress of his two bigs
Head coach Charles Lee has been playing with half a deck for the bulk of the season already. So seeing those guys work back themselves back into the fold comes with some expected excitement.
“I’m excited for them. I think they’ve approached their rehab and return to play plans with the right mindset,” Lee said. “I’m just proud of them for sticking with it, especially Mark who’s been going through it a little bit longer than Nick. Nick having a little bit of a rare injury happen to him, but I’m really happy with both guys’ progression.
“They’ve increased their intensity, which is great. They stepped out and did a little bit of shoot around today,” Lee continued. “It was nice to kind of see them playing in the seam and making some passes. It’s always good when they can kind of get reacquainted with the group.”
What does this mean for Moussa Diabate?
Moussa Diabate has been a bright spot at the center spot. He’s played big minutes and has made a major impact with his rebounding ability. He has four games on the season with 10 or more rebounds in a game. Not just that, but he’s made his mark on the offensive glass more than anything else he’s done on the floor; giving his team second chance points opportunities.
With Williams and Richards back into the fold, it could be hard to find minutes for Diabate. Still, Lee has to figure out how to make things work where he can put all three guys in the rotation during games. Williams and Richards have the size and length advantage, but Diabate’s motor makes it hard not to find a way to play him in spurts. It’s a good problem to have.
Hornets’ season could get more interesting
Charlotte’s main issue has been depth at that center spot. So adding Mark Williams and Nick Richards back into the fold will help solidify their front line from top to bottom. With the perimeter talent of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, and the others, both the staters and the bench players should be able to play a smart, competitive brand of basketball. Which also means that this team should take a major leap in their development compared to where they might’ve been a season ago.
The future of their season is still pretty bright. Despite the injuries to the key front court players and others, the Hornets have managed to keep up with the rest in the east in that five-through-12 seed range. Maybe with the bigs coming back, they can find another gear on the defensive side of the ball.
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