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Hornets' Kelly Oubre Jr. could be out multiple weeks after hand surgery

Oubre is Charlotte's second leading scorer this season, averaging 20.2 points per game.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets continue to take hits in their rough 2022-23 season as another one of the team's best players will be out of the lineup for weeks.

Kelly Oubre Jr., the  Charlotte forward and shooting guard, underwent surgery on Thursday for a torn ligament in his left hand. The Hornets stated that the surgery was successful but Oubre will be out of the lineup moving forward with updates regarding his return expected in the future.

Oubre's injury was first reported on Tuesday. According to The Athletic, Oubre was set to miss four to six weeks with the hand injury. The injury was suffered during the first week of the season but Oubre had been playing through the pain.

You wouldn't have noticed the injury if it wasn't finally addressed, though. Oubre has been having a career year this season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points in his 35 games this season.

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Oubre recorded 34 consecutive games with double-digit scoring numbers from October to late December. During that span, he hit 20 points in nine consecutive games from November to December.

Credit: AP
Charlotte Hornets guard Kelly Oubre Jr. dunks the ball over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

The Hornets (10-29) have plummeted to 15th in the Eastern Conference in large part due to ineffective shooting. The Hornets are tied with the Houston Rockets for 29th in the league in shooting percentage (44.4%). 

Oubre is shooting a pedestrian 42.1% but his consistency of making just over 20 points per game will further contribute to Charlotte's offensive woes in the coming weeks.

In his place, the Hornets will turn to LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin, Terry Rozier, and James Bouknight, among others, to shine in Oubre's position.

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