Hornets Down Several Pieces vs. Magic in Final Game Before All-Star Break

Needing a win, the Orlando Magic have a prime opportunity to take advantage of a shorthanded opponent on Wednesday night.

Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (4) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends during the second half at Kia Center. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. – When the Charlotte Hornets visit the Orlando Magic Wednesday night in the Kia Center, the team sporting the East's second-worst record will be severely shorthanded.

Charlotte, who's won just 13 of their 51 games this season, will be without nine of their top 11 leading scorers this season in the contest.

The following Hornets will miss Wednesday's divisional contest with the 26-29 Magic due to injury:

• LaMelo Ball, right ankle soreness
• Tre Mann, disc herniation
• Brandon Miller, right wrist ligament repair
• Josh Okogie, left hamstring strain
• Grant Williams, right ACL repair

And, because of completed or rescinded trades, four more players are unavailable as well:

Nick Richards, Cody Martin and Vasa Micic were all traded to the Phoenix Suns before the Feb. 6 deadline.

The Mark Williams trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, where LA dealt for him to get Luka Doncic's lob threat center and gave up a haul of draft capital and promising young rookie Dalton Knecht in the process, was nixed over the weekend after the Lakers failed Williams' physical.

Williams is listed as "not with team" for Wednesday's game.

Adding up the per-game point totals for those nine players missed equals out to 122.6 points. Yet, they've also only combined to play 215 games this year.

In the aftermath, it leaves only Miles Bridges as a double-digit point-per-game scorer this season who's set to be available Wednesday night.

Orlando is no stranger to having dealt with injuries themselves.

Through 55 games, the Magic have only got six games together of their core trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Few teams have missed more total games due to player injury and illness than Orlando, who has 170 combined absences from its roster.

Yet, the Magic are mostly in the clear at this point in the season.

Suggs is doubtful to play because of a left quad contusion that's held him out for eight straight games, and he's missed 18 of the last 19 total. Moe Wagner's season came to a close after a torn left ACL in December.

Other than those two, Orlando reports a clean bill of health.

Those two are vital to the Magic, but they will still have a decided advantage on paper regardless.

Orlando must recognize their opportunity to capture a needed victory before the week-long All-Star break is the last reprieve ahead of a 26-game sprint to the finish.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• MAGIC'S DEFENSE MISSES SUGGS: Orlando is careful to not put all the onus on him, but their defense has suffered without Jalen Suggs. CLICK HERE
• SUGGS FINDING COMFORT IN RECOVERY: As he works back from a left quad injury, the Magic's fourth-year guard is working himself back to 100 percent. CLICK HERE
• LATEST MAGIC NOTEBOOK: Banchero's Seattle connection with Spurs coach, Jamahl Mosley makes history, and more. CLICK HERE
• FRANZ IS MAGIC'S 'ULTIMATE COMPETITOR': Franz Wagner's undeniable stardom has carried its weight in gold. CLICK HERE
• MOE'S PRESENCE 'WAS HUGE': Back on the Magic bench for the first time since tearing his ACL, Moe Wagner's presence alone "was huge" for Orlando's win over the Spurs. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC'S MONTH AT HOME COMES AT RIGHT TIME: The key to capitalizing on 10 home games in the next month? "Embracing each moment." CLICK HERE

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