5-5! In the last 10 games, both Kyle Kuzma and the Charlotte Hornets have evenly matched. Currently, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets occupy the bottommost seeds on the points chart, with Kuzma’s squad sitting in dead last, while LaMelo Ball & Co. hold the 13th seed. If that wasn’t enough, both teams are on a losing streak. Therefore, a win is something that both franchises will fight hard for, and Kyle’s availability will increase the odds for the Wizards.

Unfortunately, any fans hoping for Kuzma’s availability will be left deeply disappointed. The Athletic reporter Josh Robbins recently provided details of the Washington Wizards’ Injury Report.

According to it, Kyle Kuzma continues remaining ‘OUT’, and is now set to miss his 8^th consecutive game. Furthermore, Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington, who had appeared in all 24 games till now, is now ‘Questionable’. These updates provide bad news for the Wizards.

However, the squad is in a better situation now than it was in the previous game. After all, Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert’s names are no longer present on the report, which confirms their availability in the upcoming game.

Josh Robbins

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Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert are not on the Wizards' injury report for Thursday's game against the Hornets, so they should be available to play. The team listed Bub Carrington as questionable to play because of a non-Covid illness. Kyle Kuzma remains out.

4:46 AM · Dec 19, 2024

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Kyle Kuzma sustained a rib injury during the matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers back in late November. He left the game after logging only 8 minutes and scoring 0 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. The recovery from the ailment has caused the player to be absent from the main lineup since Thanksgiving. If anyone considered rumors about a trade earlier, Kuzma’s rib injury may have only amplified them.

However, Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe denied blaming injuries for his team’s performances, stating, “Never use the injury [excuse]. We have guys who are capable of playing.” Unfortunately, those ‘guys’ keep reducing by entering the injury report.

With Bub Carrington now listed as ‘Questionable’ due to a non-Covid illness, the Wizards will have to figure out the best course to deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

Speaking of the Hornets, the report lists only 3 players, with 2 of them ‘OUT’. Tre Mann recently experienced some trouble with his lower back soreness, which doctors later diagnosed as disc irritation. Meanwhile, Grant Williams recently underwent surgery to treat his right ACL and torn medial and lateral meniscus. Neither of the duo has recovered from their respective ailments well enough to play the upcoming game.

Brandon Miller had exited the recent game against the 76ers, during the 4^th quarter, due to a sprained right ankle. The same ailment now places him in the ‘Questionable’ category. Given that he has averaged 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season, not having Miller would affect the Hornets immensely.

In light of these updates, both teams are set to make changes to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Wizards-Hornets game look like?

In Kyle Kuzma’s absence, Corey Kispert, Kyshawn George, and Justin Champagnie can see an increase in their on-court responsibilities. To cover for Carlton Carrington, Malcolm Brogdon and Corey Kispert can take charge. Therefore, the starting lineup for the Washington Wizards may look something like this:

Similarly, given the updates for the Charlotte Hornets, their starting lineup may look something like this:

The Washington Wizards or the Charlotte Hornets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments down below.