Charlotte Hornets lose another key player to the NBA’s health and safety protocols
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin (11) brings the ball up court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)")
Less than 48 hours after the Charlotte Hornets thought they were back to full strength, they’ve been pulled into COVID reality.
Cody Martin was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols with little time to spare before Sunday night’s game against Phoenix at Footprint Center. It’s a tough blow for the Hornets. He’s their best defender and would probably have been used among the many people they were planning to throw at Suns star Devin Booker, who made his return following a seven-game stint on the inactive list due to a left hamstring strain.
Martin is having a career year for the Hornets and leads the league in 3-point shooting. His 50.7% showing beyond the arc is going to be sorely missed and the same goes for the 9.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 assists he’s contributed mostly off the bench. He sat out for two games earlier this month with a non-COVID illness, fighting through some flu-like symptoms.
“Well, we’ll miss his presence for sure,” coach James Borrego said. “He’s missed a couple of games. I think, already this year, It’s affected our defense for sure. But it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up. That’s what this is about -- opportunity now. So somebody has got to step into that, own it, be better and hopefully get Cody back here soon. But (it’s an) opportunity for somebody else to step up.”
Unless Martin produces two negative PCR tests within 24 hours, he will suffer the same fate as the five others who have trickled back during Charlotte’s six-game road trip. Each was sidelined at least a week.
Terry Rozier was the first to emerge from the health and safety protocols list and be entrenched in the rotation again, playing in the Hornets’ loss in Dallas last Monday. Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels were cleared and joined the team in San Antonio for their win over the Spurs. LaMelo Ball and Ish Smith were in the mix during Friday’s loss in Portland, giving them reason to think they had gotten past a flurry of absences.
Losing Martin now changes all that and it could potentially open things up for rookie James Bouknight to play meaningful minutes. He was on the floor for a minuscule 2:23 once the outcome was a given against the Trail Blazers
As rough as it is for the Hornets to be without Martin, at least they still aren’t in the same position as Cleveland, Orlando and Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The NBA postponed their next games — three were scrapped Sunday — featuring each due to the number of players and staff members entering the league’s health and safety protocols. Brooklyn also had its matchup with Hornets’ Southeast Division foe Washington on Tuesday postponed.
In all likelihood, barring he’s cleared with the aforementioned negative tests, Martin is not going to be available until after Christmas. Coincidentally, his twin brother and former Hornet Caleb Martin entered health and safety protocols earlier this month. Apparently now it’s Cody’s turn.
“He’s just playing well,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “He and his brother are shooting the lights out of the ball right now. I was watching his brother the other day and when he lets it go it’s going in. And so both of them are playing well. It’s affecting everybody.
“The only thing I read pretty much is HoopeHype and every time you hit refresh there’s a new person in the protocols. So it’s affecting a lot of teams from that standpoint. From that standpoint you lose your competitive advantage when you don’t have all your players. So it’s unfortunate, but we’ve dealt with it also.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2021 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets lose another key player to the NBA’s health and safety protocols."
