Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards will be out indefinitely with a fractured rib.
Richards was injured early after injuring his right shoulder during the Hornets’ 124-109 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. An MRI on Tuesday then revealed a fracture of his first rib below his right collarbone, .
Richards will be evaluated “every two weeks,” starting in two weeks. It is unclear how long he will be out.
Richards averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds per game this season, his fifth with the Hornets. He is in the second year of a three-year, $15 million contract with the franchise this fall. Richards started this season in place of regular center Mark Williams, who has yet to take the field while recovering from a foot injury.
“Nick was a big part of what we did in those first five games. I’m very happy with him and his ability to dominate the paint,” coach Charles Lee said Saturday: . “He changed up a lot of shots and I think he helps us with his pick-and-roll coverage and his understanding of different spaces in center field and creates some indecision for the ball handlers.
“He did a great job defensively, and then offensively, he created a ton of upside for all of our scorers, all of our ball handlers. He’s one of our core players who has been one of those relentless offensive rebounders. This benefited him and also led to some three-and-outs for us as well. It’s an unfortunate loss.
The Hornets are 2-5 this season and have lost three straight, including two straight losses to the Celtics. The Hornets were just 21-61 last season and missed the playoffs for an eighth straight year. Lee was hired to replace Steve Clifford as the team’s head coach this past offseason.
The Hornets will host the Detroit Pistons next Wednesday night.
