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Charlotte Hornets rookie PJ Washington will be sidelined through Christmas as he recovers from a broken finger.
INJURY UPDATE
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) December 14, 2019
PJ Washington has suffered a fractured fifth finger on his right hand.
: https://t.co/3b2JKzLjFC@NovantHealth | #AllFly pic.twitter.com/eJ9hPiUlWH
The team’s official report only states that Washington will be out for Sunday’s game against the Pacers. However, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarwoski is reporting that the Hornets rookie is expected to be out through Christmas.
Charlotte Hornets rookie F P.J. Washington is expected to be sidelined through Christmas with fractured finger, league sources tell ESPN. The Hornets play five games in that stretch. He's averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 14, 2019
The injured finger is the pinky finger on Washington’s right hand, so it’s the least important of all the fingers. As Woj notes in his Tweet, the Hornets only play five game between now and Christmas. They don’t play a game between December 22 and December 27, which creates a natural reentry point for Washington after his finger heals.
Washington has started every game for the Hornets this season. The most obvious replacement would be Marvin Williams, but he’s missed the last four games with knee soreness and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game with the Pacers, per Rick Bonnell. If healthy, I think Nicolas Batum will get the start and Miles Bridges will shift to the four. If Batum remains out, we’ll probably get Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back in the starting lineup.