2 min read • March 25, 2022
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Gordon Hayward, the 31-year-old Charlotte Hornets small forward, has not played a game since suffering a left ankle sprain on February 7.
When the injury occurred, the ProBasketballDocs asserted that it looked like a standard inversion ankle sprain by video.
Clearly, Hayward has been out longer than is typical for an inversion ankle sprain, but it's not exactly clear why.
The injury was to the same leg he broke in the first game of the season in 2017, but we pointed out that the injury mechanism for this ankle sprain contained the opposite force of the previous break.
Either way, Hayward has missed the past 18 games for the Hornets. The good news is he's expected to resume contact drills soon and seems poised for a return in the season's final two weeks.
Charlotte has gone 9-9 in Hayward's absence and currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The team is six games above the 11th place Knicks and are virtually guaranteed a play-in game at this point.
Hayward's veteran savvy has been sorely missed by the young Hornets and the hope is he can return in time to ramp up for the play-in game.
The former Celtic was averaging 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists before the injury. P.J. Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. have absorbed Hayward's minutes with him out.
Charlotte will be without Hayward once again on Friday as they face the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz (45-28) are 3.5-point favorites and the over/under is 228.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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