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Hornets Notes: Williams, Salaün, Bridges

March 13th, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Maher

It has been a whirlwind season for Hornets center Mark Williams, who was technically traded to the Lakers ahead of last month’s deadline only to see the deal rescinded by Los Angeles for what the team called medical concerns. Williams says he has moved on from that period of uncertainty, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“That was definitely a crazy time for me, but I think I’m past it,” said Williams. “Just trying to play the season out as hard as I can and dominate. I don’t think it does me any good to continue to harp on that situation.”

Williams says he has received support from people who know him well.

“Yeah, it’s been great,” Williams said. “Obviously, my teammates have been super supportive. My teammates, it’s obviously going to be easy with them. It’s not like they are the ones in front offices or anything. I would say being around them always makes it easier. Coaches, and then my people around me, like my family.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

Viewed as a project entering the 2024 draft, No. 6 overall pick Tidjane Salaün has predictably struggled in some ways during his rookie campaign, Boone writes in another story. The 19-year-old French forward has converted just 31.9% of his field goals attempts. Head coach Charles Lee says Salaün needs to be more consistent but is pleased with his effort. “I think he’s done a great job of progressing throughout the whole year,” Lee said. “He’s had his ups and downs, but through it all, he continues to just show great flashes. … I look forward to just more consistency from him. The kid works extremely hard, the care factor is there. He’s going to continue to get better. I know it.”
Although it has largely been a disappointing season in Charlotte, with injuries once again a major cause for concern, the play and leadership of Miles Bridges have been bright spots, according to Boone. Bridges, who signed a three-year, $75MM contract with the Hornets last summer, missed the entire ’22/23 season after being charged with three felonies following an alleged assault of his former girlfriend and mother of his two children in front of them. He initially pleaded not guilty, but reached a plea deal for three years of probation and no jail time, ultimately entering a plea of no contest to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent. The NBA later suspended him for 30 games, with 20 of those considered retroactive for missing all of ’22/23.
In case you missed it, in addition to their own selection, which would currently be No. 33 overall, the Hornets also control the Pelicans’ 2025 second-round pick, which is projected to be No. 34.

Southeast Notes: Banchero, Magic, Salaun, Poole

January 19th, 2025 at 3:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero barely looked worse for wear upon returning to action after missing two-plus months with an oblique injury. He recently reflected on his time away in a “diary entry” for Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.

“The toughest part was just missing out on the competition, missing out on the games and being out there with your teammates,” Banchero said. “Obviously, they did a really good job of getting wins and playing at a high level. But as a competitor, you just want to be out there. For me, it was the longest injury I’ve had to deal with.”

In his four games back so far, the former Rookie of the Year has averaged 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals per night.

“So, just having to sit there and watch night after night, it allowed me to grow in some other areas, whether it was watching the game from the bench and helping teammates out, telling them what I see, [or] what I think they can do differently throughout the game,” Banchero added. “And also, just talking to the coaches’ staff too after every game on the road, different times, just picking their brains as well and seeing what they think.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Magic have been struggling all year with their shooting from beyond the arc, observes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As of this writing, the Magic have the worst three-point conversion rate in the league at 30.4%. That’s 3.4% worse than the Wizards, who are the No. 29 club in that department. “Got to go back and look at them and see if we’re getting the right ones,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We’re getting downhill and teams are collapsing. We’re going to see more zone [defense], understood. But we’ve got to keep continuing to make the right play. I’m never discouraged when we’re getting the right looks.”
The Hornets have assigned rookie lottery pick big man Tidjane Salaun to their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, for the first time this season, the team announced (Twitter link). The 19-year-old has appeared in 34 contests for Charlotte, averaging 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest off the bench.
Wizards guard Jordan Poole had a big night on Saturday against his former team, the Warriors, scoring a game-high 38 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win, notes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post.“Made some really tough shots, big shots for us,” said head coach Brian Keefe of Poole’s impact. “I thought he was terrific tonight. They threw the kitchen sink at him down the stretch to make life difficult for him. He really pulled us forward tonight. Hell of a game.”

Southeast Notes: Bridges, Williams, Da Silva, Vukcevic

December 14th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heading into his first year with the Hornets, head coach Charles Lee had been planning to start Miles Bridges and Mark Williams together on his front line, but he didn’t have that opportunity until Friday night, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a bone bruise on his right knee, marking his first game this season alongside Williams, who made his debut last week after recovering from a strained tendon in his left foot.

“I thought they had good games,” Lee said. “Miles, I think you see what he can bring to our offense, in terms of being able to be a pick-and-roll handler, off ball catch-and-shoot guy or off ball driver and play-maker. And then defensively, I thought that his communication was really good, his rebounding. So, I’m encouraged. And I thought Mark had some good spurts on both ends of the floor, too.”

Williams made his first start of the season, contributing 15 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes and showing signs that he might be ready to resume his normal role after being out of action for about a year. It was his longest outing since being cleared to return as his conditioning level continues to improve.

“It felt good,” he said. “Shout-out to my teammates for keeping my head in it, staying solid. But it felt good. Obviously, the intention was to win the game. This is a small piece of it. We were short in doing that, but I definitely felt good. There’s a lot of stuff I need to improve on individually and we can improve on collectively. But I think with each game I’m getting more and more comfortable with time increasing each game.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Lee’s first season as a head coach has featured revolving lineups as the Hornets have been hit especially hard by injuries, Boone adds. Lottery pick Tidjane Salaun also returned on Friday night and LaMelo Ball is expected back soon, but many of the combinations Lee has been forced to use haven’t played together very often. “I’m super proud of our guys,” he said. “No matter who’s been available, there hasn’t been any excuses made and there’s just been an overall competitiveness.”
Magic rookie Tristan da Silva has appeared in 23 games and made 16 starts, but he realized at today’s practice that he hasn’t played at the same time as Paolo Banchero, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The first-round pick wasn’t used much early in the season, and his first real opportunity didn’t come until Banchero was sidelined with a torn oblique. Da Silva said Banchero has been extremely helpful in his adjustment to the NBA. “He’s been very vocal,” Da Silva said. “He brings a lot of energy off the bench, which is really good for us, especially on the road. Every time somebody subs out, he’s right there telling people what he sees and giving his input on the game, which is amazing. Advice like that from a guy like that from the sideline is always good.”
Wizards two-way center Tristan Vukcevic was expected to start practicing today with the team’s G League affiliate, relays Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Vukcevic, a second-round pick in 2023, has been sidelined all season with a left knee contusion.

Eastern Notes: Knicks/Raptors Dispute, Hornets, Banchero, Holland, Sixers

December 13th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Raptors were required to update the court on the status of the arbitration process of their legal dispute on Friday, but agreed in a joint filing that there’s nothing to report, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays.

The Knicks filed a lawsuit in August 2023 alleging that former video coordinator Ikechukwu Azotam illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position with the Raptors and shared them with his new club. The Raptors, referring to the suit as “baseless,” argued that the issue ought to be resolved through the NBA’s arbitration process rather than in court, while the Knicks contended that commissioner Adam Silver wouldn’t be impartial.

A U.S. District Court judge ultimately sided with the Raptors and sent the matter back to the NBA, but with no movement yet toward arbitration, the Knicks didn’t miss the opportunity to fire another shot at Silver.

“We’ve been waiting for any direction from the NBA on next steps in this matter for months — proving our point that the NBA is not capable of appropriately and fairly handling this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files,” an MSG Sports spokesperson said in a statement, per Bondy. “Unfortunately, because of the clear conflict of interest between the Commissioner and the Chairman of the NBA, there has been complete silence from the league.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

Two injured Hornets players have been cleared to return to action on Friday in Chicago, with Miles Bridges (right knee bone bruise) and Tidjane Salaun (left ankle sprain) deemed available, per the team (Twitter link). Bridges, who last played on November 19, has missed Charlotte’s past 10 games, while Salaun has been sidelined since last Thursday.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero stated in mid-November that he hoped to be back to the court by Christmas, but his return from a torn oblique doesn’t appear close, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “He’s doing the same ball-handling, a little light movement on the floor, and then just trying to find ways to get the cardio up without applying too much pressure,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Friday. “But again, he’s just slowly moving his way to touching the court.”
Pistons rookie Ron Holland entered Thursday’s game in Boston having averaged 5.6 points per game on .425/.180/.786 shooting through his first 25 NBA games. But with Detroit facing a 25-point deficit on Thursday, Holland got a chance to play the entire fourth quarter and showed glimpses of what he could become, finishing the game with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. While most of those points came in garbage time, the Pistons were encouraged by what they saw from the No. 5 overall pick. “It’s still against NBA players,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Against a team who has a great system on both sides of the ball, and they understand what they’re doing. And it proved that he can be successful versus that. Hopefully, that leads to the confidence that kind of unlocks him a little bit and now he goes and he continues to build off of this.”
Sixers forward Paul George can identify first-hand with what teammate Joel Embiid is going through. After Embiid admitted that his knee issues have been “extremely depressing,” George – who has an extensive injury history of his own – said that dealing with health problems is the “toughest part of the game,” writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We build ourselves up so much. The media builds us up. The community builds us up,” George said. “Then you face an injury that you know you’re not yourself. You’re not the same, but you are expected to be yourself when you get on that floor. So, mentally, it is tough.”

Hornets Notes: Bridges, Ball, Micic, Williams

December 11th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Miles Bridges is getting closer to making his return as the Hornets start to overcome their early-season injury issues, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges, who hasn’t played since November 19 because of a bone bruise on his right knee, was able to participate in team activities during Wednesday’s practice.

“It’s good,” he said. “You know I hate sitting out. I’m progressing toward the right way. That’s what I’m trying to get to. I’m getting better every day.”

Charlotte’s 7-17 start can be explained by the lengthy string of injuries that has hit the team since Mark Williams suffered a strained tendon in his left foot just before the start of training camp. Nick Richards, Tre Mann, LaMelo Ball and Tidjane Salaun followed him on the injury list, and Grant Williams was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Williams and Richards have already resumed playing, and Mann is expected to be reevaluated in the next few days.

“You see different teams dealing with injuries now, so I’m kind of happy that we’ve got that out the way — except for Grant missing the whole year,” said Bridges, who added that he re-aggravated his condition by trying to return too soon. “But just guys being able to come back now, it’s the right time — at the meat of the season. So, I feel like we’ll be good.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Coach Charles Lee said the team is being cautious with Ball, who is recovering from a left calf strain he suffered in a November 27 game, Boone adds. Ball was projected to miss at least two weeks, and Lee said he’s not quite ready to return. “You’ve got to be able to see, No. 1 how does his body respond to trying to run, especially full speed motions?” Lee said. “And then after that, it’s how do we see him do some cutting now within the full speed running, So, there’s a progression.”
Vasilije Micic should be considered expendable as the Hornets explore trade options ahead of the February 6 deadline, Boone states in a mailbag column. Micic has been seeing increased minutes as a backup point guard while Ball and Mann are sidelined, but Boone views KJ Simpson as more of a long-term foundation piece than Micic.
Fans shouldn’t expect Williams to reclaim his place in the starting lineup anytime soon, Boone adds in the same piece. Injuries forced the big man to miss nearly a full calendar year, so he’ll need time to regain his conditioning before he’s able to play more than 30 minutes every night.

Hornets’ Tidjane Salaun Exits Game With Ankle Sprain

December 5th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Hornets rookie forward Tidjane Salaun exited Thursday’s matchup against New York with a left ankle sprain in the first quarter, according to Hornets PR (Twitter link). He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Salaun, the No. 6 overall pick in 2024, has established himself as part of the rotation. He’s averaging 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.7 minutes this season while appearing in 19 games and making seven starts.

With Miles Bridges injured and Grant Williams out for the season, Salaun’s role has increased as of late. He has started each of the past six games for the Hornets. Excluding Thursday’s game, Salaun averaged 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during his starts, including 31 total points in games against Miami and New York on Nov. 27 and 29.

The Hornets turned to several deep rotation pieces in Thursday’s game with several players dealing with injuries. All of LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Williams and Bridges are hurt. Center Mark Williams recently returned from injury but isn’t playing his full workload yet. That leaves two-way guard KJ Simpson and deep reserves Seth Curry, DaQuan Jeffries and Nick Smith Jr. as options off the bench alongside Williams and Cody Martin.

Ankle sprains vary in recovery time, so we’ll have to wait and see what Salaun’s official timetable is. However, Suns star Kevin Durant suffered an ankle sprain on Tuesday and is out at least one week, so it’s safe to assume Salaun misses at least a few games. Lakers center Jaxson Hayes also suffered an ankle injury recently and is out two-to-three weeks. The Hornets play a back-to-back set on Sunday and Monday against Indiana and Chicago, then have a few days off before resuming their schedule on Dec. 13.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Brogdon, Coulibaly, Williams, Salaun, Diabate

November 25th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard Jalen Suggs won’t play in Monday’s game against Charlotte due to a left hamstring strain, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Suggs has started all of Orlando’s previous 18 games, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Suggs signed a five-year, $105.5MM extension last month.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Malcolm Brogdon has provided a calming influence on the Wizards since returning from a thumb injury, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post writes. Brogdon has scored 33 points with six assists over the last two games. “When things go awry or things are feeling sticky … Malcolm is a surefire way for us to get back in the groove of what we’re trying to do,” teammate Corey Kispert said. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’s improved defensively in his second season by “not respecting” his opponents as much and “getting more physical with them,” he told Wizards reporter Bijan Todd (Twitter link). Coulibaly has racked up eight steals and three blocks over the past four games.
With Grant Williams suffering a season-ending knee injury, Hornets coach Charles Lee will have to try to replace Williams’ production in the short term with Tidjane Salaün and two-way player Moussa Diabate, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer points out. That’s because Mark Williams and Nick Richards are still on the mend from injuries. Williams hasn’t played for nearly a year and Richards is recovering from a rib injury.

Southeast Notes: Daniels, Herro, Spoelstra, Salaün

November 13th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering play on Wednesday, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels‘ has 31 more deflections (76 total) and 15 more steals (36 total) than any other NBA player, establishing himself as one of the league’s very best defenders. He’s also holding his own offensively, averaging a career-high 14.3 points per game on 46.9% shooting.

As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details, Daniels’ breakout third season is making the Hawks’ return in this summer’s Dejounte Murray trade look better and better.

“Coming here was just was so good for his confidence, both offensively and confidence defensively,” said teammate Larry Nance Jr., who was traded with Daniels from New Orleans to Atlanta. “He’s taking some more gambles now, and obviously they’re paying off. So, I truly could not be happier for a guy that is so deserving of the praise and the opportunity he’s gotten.”

While Nance suggested Daniels has an increased willingness to take gambles on defense, head coach Quin Snyder made it clear that the third-year guard’s impressive defensive numbers aren’t just a result of taking more risks that might hurt the Hawks if they backfire.

“What’s impressive to me about that is, usually when you get that many steals, it’s because you’re gambling,” Snyder said. “You take yourself out of a play. And rarely is he taking himself out of the play. He may not steal the ball, but he’s still in position. He’s calculated with that. He’s just, he’s so focused. And, it’s unusual. You don’t take it for granted that he brings it every night.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Ahead of the season, Heat president Pat Riley challenged his team’s top four players to be the best versions of themselves. Tyler Herro is the only one meeting that challenge so far, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who refers to the former Sixth Man of the Year as Miami’s first-month MVP after he put up 40 points in a loss to Detroit on Tuesday. “He’s having a hell of a year,” teammate Bam Adebayo said. “He deserves that All-Star nod. We’ve been pushing him for three or four years to get that nod. He’s healthy, playing at his own pace, making decisions, making plays.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra took the blame for that overtime loss to Detroit on Tuesday after he tried to call for a timeout the Heat didn’t have in the game’s final seconds, allowing the Pistons to hit a tie-breaking technical free throw. “There’s really no excuse for that,” Spoelstra said (story via The Associated Press). “I’m 17 years in. We had talked about it in the huddle, I knew that we didn’t have anything. I just got emotional and reactive on that and I made just a horrendous mistake there at the end. It’s a shame.”
After starting Tidjane Salaün in place of Miles Bridges for the Hornets‘ first two games after Bridges was diagnosed with a knee bone bruise, head coach Charles Lee turned instead to Grant Williams to take Bridges’ spot on Tuesday, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Still, Salaün played roughly as many minutes off the bench as he did as a starter, and Lee said he’s encouraged by the progress he has seen from the 19-year-old. The Hornets’ coach noted that the speed of the game, the language barrier, and learning a new system and terminology have all been challenges for Salaun, but Lee believes the rookie forward is getting more comfortable. “He’s just getting better with more reps, which makes sense for young guys,” Lee said. “… I love his energy and effort and the competitiveness he plays with every time he’s on the floor.”

International Notes: French Rookies, Yao, Mannion, Larkin, More

November 1st, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Rory Maher

French teenagers Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards) and Tidjane Salaün (Hornets), who were selected first, second and sixth overall in June’s draft, have gotten off to slow starts to begin their NBA careers, per John Hollinger of The Athletic. Risacher (.354/.238/.583 shooting line) and Sarr (.297/.238/.833) are struggling with offensive efficiency, while Salaün isn’t yet a regular member of Charlotte’s rotation.

As Hollinger writes, that outcome was always expected, as all three players were viewed as relatively raw prospects, drafted more for what they could be than what they are now. While Risacher and Sarr have shown promising flashes on defense, they’ve also struggled with the size and strength of the NBA, something Risacher’s teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic is familiar with, having played in Serbia and Turkey before signing his first NBA contract.

“Athleticism in the NBA is very different,” Bogdanovic said. “There is not a league on the planet where you can see this type of length, athleticism and talent on the floor. Just adjusting to the speed of the games and the pace.”

Hollinger asked Risacher about his early adjustment to the league in training camp, and the 19-year-old was modest in his reply.

“Back in France I was super athletic, and now I’m just a regular dude,” Risacher said.

Time will tell whether or not the three rookies will become impact players in the NBA, but for now, their teams will have to be patient as they develop, Hollinger notes.

Here are a few more international notes:

Hall-of-Famer Yao Ming has resigned from his role as president of the Chinese Basketball Association, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Yao, who played NBA nine seasons with the Rockets, was president of the CBA for the past seven years.
Former NBA guard Nico Mannion is signing a three-year contract with Italy’s Olimpia Milano, reports Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Mannion’s current club, Pallacanestro, will receive a buyout of €300,000. Mannion’s NBA rights are controlled by Golden State, the team that selected him No. 48 overall in 2020. The 23-year-old spent the 2020/21 season on a two-way deal with the Warriors and would be a restricted free agent upon his return to the NBA as long as Golden State keeps issuing him two-way qualifying offers.
Former first-round pick Shane Larkin will return to the Turkish national team for the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, according to Eurohoops. Head coach Ergin Ataman recently announced the news in a podcast appearance, adding that another nationalized citizen, Scottie Wilbekin, will be on the roster as well. It’s unclear if Wilbekin will actually be ready to play by next summer, as he suffered a torn ACL this fall.
NBA veterans Bruno Caboclo and Patrick Beverley are currently playing in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, but they’re both drawing interest from EuroLeague clubs, according to Maggi. Caboclo has reportedly received a contract offer from Real Madrid, which has multiple players sidelined by injuries. The Spanish powerhouse may be eyeing Beverley as well, though it’s unclear if he’s open to leaving his current team.

Injury Notes: Wiseman, Jackson, Ball, Jackson, Eason, Hornets

October 25th, 2024 at 6:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers center James Wiseman underwent successful surgery on Thursday night to repair his torn left Achilles tendon, as Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter). While Achilles tears are typically season-ending injuries, Indiana is still determining Wiseman’s recovery timeline, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, and head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Friday that Wiseman hasn’t been ruled out for the season yet.

“This was terrible luck,” Carlisle said in discussing the injury. “Great kid who had an amazing summer of preparation, really good preseason. Training camp was also really good. It’s just one of those things. Just a very odd circumstance. Very unlucky.”

The Pacers’ other backup center, Isaiah Jackson, missed Wednesday’s regular season opener due to a right groin strain, but he has been cleared to suit up for Friday’s game in New York, Dopirak writes in a separate story for The Indy Star. Still, with Wiseman seemingly unlikely to play again this season, Carlisle didn’t rule out the possibility of adding another center to the roster.

“I would think that our people are getting a few phone calls today from agents and stuff like that,” Carlisle said. “I’ve not been focusing on that. The good news for us is Isaiah Jackson will be back and available. That’s very good news. We will just right now focus on the guys we have on the roster that are ready to go and come out with guns blazing. That’s what you gotta do in this situation.”

The Pacers have an open 15-man roster spot, and while they don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, they could add a free agent big man on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract and stay out of tax territory while maintaining the flexibility to waive that player before the league-wide salary guarantee date.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Lonzo Ball‘s limit of 16 minutes per game is going to remain in place “for some time,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. But the veteran point guard came away from his regular season debut on Wednesday feeling fine and will play in Saturday’s home opener vs. Oklahoma City after sitting out the first end of Chicago’s back-to-back in Milwaukee on Friday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). Wednesday represented Ball’s first regular season action since January 2022 due to multiple knee surgeries.
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. won’t play on Friday vs. Houston, having been ruled out due to his left hamstring strain (Twitter link). The team was said to be targeting this weekend for Jackson’s return, so we’ll see if he’s able to make his season debut on Saturday at home vs. Orlando.
After describing Steven Adams‘ availability as “game-to-game” as he returns from knee surgery that cost him the entire 2023/24 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said forward Tari Eason is in a similar boat, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Eason, who missed most of last season due to leg surgery, was active on Wednesday and isn’t on the injury report for Friday’s game vs. Memphis, but may not suit up for the second end of Houston’s back-to-back set on Saturday in San Antonio (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
Josh Green (left Achilles soreness) and Tidjane Salaun (left finger sprain) have been upgraded to available for the Hornets‘ game in Atlanta on Friday. Neither player has made his Hornets regular season debut, but both could see action tonight.