Hornets Insider: Three injured Charlotte players give updates on their health status

Staring at his cellphone as everyone else scattered about following another painful defeat, Frank Ntilikina is solemn.

It’s mid-January and the NBA All-Star break is rapidly approaching Yet, Ntilikina still hasn’t made his debut for the Charlotte Hornets and is reduced to being an afterthought of sorts as he navigates rehabilitating a non-displaced fracture in his left tibia. The situation is bothersome for the Frenchman because he’s powerless to help lessen the Hornets’ struggles.

“Aw man it’s annoying,” Ntilikina said. “It’s not what you want as a basketball player. Injuries are the worst part of the career, so it’s been months now. I want one thing: just to get back on the court with these guys. I feel like everybody out here trusts me, the coach, my teammates.

“So it’s kind of frustrating not to be out there with them, but I control what I can control and I’m just doing everything I can do every day to get back healthy as soon as possible.”

Ntilikina’s track got derailed back in October, when he went down in the Hornets’ preseason finale. He recently increased his activity, even joining LaMelo Ball and others in practice sessions.

He’s roughly two weeks into ramping things up, a process that initially included getting paired up for some on court work. But he’s currently in the advanced stages, looking to pass the final few tests until he’s given the green light to suit up — something that could be a possibility this week.

“So now it’s a matter of the response to it, just the day after and getting back into good condition to play an NBA game,” Ntilikina said. “Of course, five-on-five is not two-on-two, it’s not 1-on-1. It’s 48 minutes with the top level players in the world. But it’s just keep going, keep doing conditioning, keep doing some opposition (scout work) and I’ll be back.”

Steve Clifford is eagerly waiting for Ntilikina to get the green light. The Hornets coach has a defensive mindset and Ntilikina’s strength is on that side of the ball, which is partially why the Hornets didn’t waive him despite his non-guaranteed, one-year deal.

He’s bummed that he hasn’t been able to plug Ntilikina into the lineup for three months.

“It’s actually been a pretty significant hit for our team,” Clifford said. “I don’t know if people know, he can guard anybody. Like Melo, there aren’t many guys who can guard Melo. Frank can make it hard on Melo. He’s a great individual defender — great — and a terrific pick-and-roll defender.

“And there’s not many guys like that. Plus he has size and for our team he fits well because he can guard wings, so you can play him at the ‘2’ with Melo, you can play him with Terry where they are all interchangeable. So, he does fit very well.”

Remaining upbeat throughout this ordeal is difficult for Ntilikina, though. The injury bug has taken a big bite out of him.

“Two in a row like this,” Ntilikina said. “I’ve come back from a hamstring with the French national team. That’s why I didn’t play in the World Cup. Then, I go down in the preseason. Yeah, so definitely for everybody that’s hurt out there, it’s tough to be hurt.

“It’s annoying not to be on the court, so that’s the main priority. Just getting back and playing basketball, connecting with my teammates, getting back on the court and doing what I love.”

No timeline for Gordon Hayward

Don’t expect to see Gordon Hayward on the floor for, at minimum, the next week.

Although Hayward is doing some light work, that’s the extent of his progress as he navigates the latest injury in a career loaded with them. Hayward is nursing a strained left calf suffered Dec. 26 against the LA Clippers, keeping him sidelined for the Hornets’ past nine games.

“Just trying to take it day-by-day honestly,” Hayward said. “Then you see if you can get better each day and the days start to stack up and then you can get back on the court.”

Precisely when will that be for the Hornets’ highest-paid player? There’s little clarity.

“It’s a tricky situation with a calf strain like that,” Hayward said. “ I’m not there yet, so it’s not like there’s a timeline or anything. But it is getting better.”

For Hayward, this is old hat. Given he hasn’t logged a full complement of games in his three-plus seasons in Charlotte, he’s experienced this scenario more than he would like.

“It’s just something I’ve been through before, so you kind of just know how to do it,” Hayward said. “Having a good support system is key. Luckily, I have one built in no matter what with my family. But also just try to talk to teammates and adjust being around the guys is positive. So, just trying not to isolate yourself.”

As he recovers, he’s trying to stay as involved as possible. Lending an ear is the least he can do.

“A lot of times, it’s talking to them with what I see,” Hayward said. “So, whether that’s in timeouts or back in the locker room, days when we practice, just telling the things that I’ve learned and try to help them with what I see that’s going on the court.”

PJ Washington: ‘It’s crazy’

Likely thinking about the irony of it all, a smirk came across PJ Washington’s face. Surely, he’s pondering his unusual circumstances, even though he’s having trouble putting his recent plight into perspective.

Washington has been one of the Hornets’ healthiest players during his four-plus years with Charlotte, but he’s been victimized like just about everybody else on the roster this season. And Washington, who missed six games and returned in Sunday night’s loss to Miami after battling a sprained ankle, is not pleased at all.

“It’s annoying for me because I like to be out there with my guys playing basketball,” Washington said. “I’m just trying to do my best, just trying to make sure I’m on my Ps and Qs with my treatment and therapy and everything. I’ve been trying to take advantage of having the time out and trying to get better.”

Still, even he’s having trouble wrapping his head around all the Hornets’ injuries. They have missed a total of 158 games due to ailments this season, placing Charlotte only behind Memphis.

“It’s crazy,” Washington said. “I’ve never seen anything like it but it’s part of the game. We’ve just got to get through it and have the ‘next man up’ mentality. And everybody just has to stay ready. We’ve been having guys trying to fight back from injuries all season. So, it is what it is.”