3:44pm: There hasn’t been any determination yet as to whether or not Batum will require surgery, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The forward is said to have damaged his ulnar collateral ligament, the same one often associated with pitchers that undergo Tommy John surgery.
The Hornets issued a press release confirming Batum’s injury and indicating that he’s expected to miss a minimum of six to eight weeks.
3:19pm: The Hornets could be without Nicolas Batum for eight to 12 weeks, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The swingman tore a ligament in his left elbow during Wednesday night’s preseason game.
In 77 games for the Hornets last season, Batum averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
This year Charlotte hoped to take a substantial leap forward after missing the postseason in 2016/17. The club’s newfound depth – depleted significantly sans Batum – was to play a major role in that.
The given timeline would have Batum back on the court anywhere from early December to early January, still with plenty of time to get back into routine and contribute for the Hornets during the playoff stretch.
With Batum on the sidelines, the Hornets will need to find a way to fill his contributions at the two. Currently rookie Malik Monk is the next in line at the position but Jeremy Lamb – currently slated to be the team’s backup small forward -could spend time there as well.
The Hornets already have 20 players on their roster, 13 of whom are on guaranteed deals.
A UCL tear could be longer than 2-3 months. Unless maybe it’s a partial tear, 3-5 seems a lot more plausible. Obviously, its totally different, but it was like 6 or 7 for me to feel even a little better, and that was just a sprain. Anyone that has had that injury knows it’s difficult to bend and unbend your elbow or pick up your arm.
Hopefully, it won’t be too long. Could be an opportunity for 1 of the teams right there with them like Detroit, Indiana, Brooklyn, and Philly
Huge blow for Charlotte. They really need to see Jeremy Lamb take a big step forward in his absence