{"id":251448,"date":"2023-01-05T09:04:54","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T15:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=251448"},"modified":"2023-01-05T10:28:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T16:28:41","slug":"charlotte-hornets-injury-kelly-oubre-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/charlotte-hornets-injury-kelly-oubre-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"Charlotte Hornets Lose Another Starter, Kelly Oubre Jr. Out 4-6 Weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the unluckiest teams in the NBA this season because a third starter will miss significant time due to injuries. Shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. is sidelined for four to six weeks while recovering from a hand injury, which is another bad beat for the Hornets.<\/p>\n

\"Kelly
Kelly Oubre Jr., shooting guard from the Charlotte Hornets, is having his best season of his career, which made him an attractive trade candidate for the last place Hornets. (Image: USA Today Sports)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hornets are in the middle of a three-game losing streak. With a 10-29 record, the Hornets have the worst winning percentage in the NBA. They currently occupy last place in the Eastern Conference and are ranked #15 out of 15 teams.<\/p>\n

The Hornets are in last place in the Southeast Division, and trail the first-place Miami Heat by 10 games. They’re +30000 long shots to win the division, according to a recent update by DraftKings.<\/p>\n

FiveThirtyEight<\/em> projected the Hornets have less than a 0.1% chance<\/a> to qualify for the postseason. They’re also projected to finish the season with a 26-56 record, which puts them in the running for a top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery.<\/p>\n

DraftKings posted a prop bet predicting which teams will participate in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. The Hornets are one of the long shots on the board at +1800 odds to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n

The Hornets are one of six teams at the bottom of DraftKings’ NBA futures board, with absurd long shot odds to win the 2022-23 championship at +100000.<\/p>\n

Tough-Guy Oubre Jr. Played Through Injury<\/h2>\n

There’s no shortage of tough guys in the NBA, and Oubre Jr. is one of them. Oubre Jr. suffered a ligament injury in his left hand during the first week of the season. Since it was an injury to his non-shooting hand, Oubre decided to play through the pain and postpone surgery until the off-season.<\/p>\n

Even with a sore left hand, Oubre Jr. is having his best season as a pro. He averages a career-high 20.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. His 3-point shooting is down from last season at 30.8%, but he emerged as the Hornets’ second-best scorer behind LaMelo Ball.<\/p>\n

The Hornets had a positive outlook at the start of the 2022-23 season. In the two previous seasons, they qualified for the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, but were eliminated and failed to secure the #8 seed. The Hornets rehired ex-coach Steve Clifford in an effort to shore up their defense and make strides to become a perennial playoff team.<\/p>\n

The hand injury kept Oubre Jr. out of the starting lineup in three out of the last four games, where he was listed with a “left hand strain.” The Hornets and Oubre Jr. finally opted for the surgical route. He will undergo surgery today, and expected to return sometime in February.<\/p>\n

Clifford will rely on backup guards James Bouknight (4.4 ppg) and Bryce McGowens (4.0 ppg) to fill in for Oubre.<\/p>\n

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