Charlotte's problem is the opposite: the injuries hit the backcourt, and they hit it hard. Coby White (calf), Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Kylan Boswell (knee) and Grant Williams (hamstring) all sat against Miami, and the Hornets still won 115-110 because Brandon Miller scored 34. Charlotte won the 2nd and 3rd quarters 65-44 and built a 21-point lead, then gave up a 35-19 4th quarter to a winless Heat team that turned a comfortable night into a sweaty one.
There's some hope for Charlotte on the Knueppel front. He resumed individual on-court work early last week after the hamstring strain, though he has still missed all 3 games so far. If he or White makes it back Monday, Miller gets help creating shots, and that's been the biggest hole in this rotation. If neither does, Miller is again the only real shot creator against a Washington team that has shown it can make a late run.
The 81-128 home loss to Atlanta is the result that should worry Hornets fans. That's the floor for a roster this thin, and it came at home. Charlotte's rest is clean: the Hornets have Sunday off after the Miami game. Washington flies in from Chicago on the same 1 day of rest. Both teams are short-handed, both will be checking the injury report Monday morning, and whichever team gets a starter back first probably wins it.