In this week’s Time Out for Sports segment, Charlotte Observer sportswriter Langston Wertz Jr. says that if there are factors other than injuries that are holding the Charlotte Hornets back, it’s hard to tell.
“I mean, if they were out there 100% healthy and losing, then we could point to some of the other things, but they just always are injured,” said Wertz Jr. “There's always three or four guys sitting around on the bench for the Hornets — and key guys.”
But, he says, the Hornets’ sorry 13-34 record this season shouldn’t necessarily reflect poorly on head coach Steve Clifford.
“I will say he's kept the guys playing… They beat Atlanta without Lamelo last week. They came back from 19 points down. So I can't say the guys are giving up and just kind of coasting,” said Wertz Jr. “I don't think you can judge Cliff for the season because I think he deserves a shot to come back because they just had such an unusual run of injuries.”
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You can listen to the full conversation above. Here’s a quick look at the other topics Glenn and Wertz Jr. covered this week.
- Charlotte FC mourns the sudden death of defender Anton Walkes, who passed away in a boating accident in Miami last week. A celebration of his life is planned for Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.
- The Carolina Panthers were found to be in violation of an NFL rule as they’ve continued their search for a permanent head coach. Owner David Tepper’s wife, Nicole Tepper, had joined the search committee without completing the league’s mandatory inclusive hiring training.
- Former Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is now one win away from the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers triumphed over the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend with a touchdown from McCaffrey.
- North Carolina’s women’s basketball team beat Duke 61-56 last week. And the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks continued to dominate over the weekend, stomping Arkansas 92-46.
