Hornets center Cody Zeller out six weeks after hand surgery

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Thursday, Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller of Washington, Indiana is out four to six weeks after undergoing hand surgery. Zeller broke his hand in the Hornets’ 121-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Hornets’ regular season opener on Wednesday.

In the seven-point Hornets’ defeat, Zeller had six points in 18 minutes and 57 seconds of action. He also had three rebounds, three steals, and one block. The Hornets lost even though they had a strong offensive performance from Terry Rozier, who had 42 points.

Zeller is in his eighth season with the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets organization. A year ago, Zeller enjoyed the best season of his career. He averaged 11.1 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game, which were all career-highs.

Heading into the year, the Hornets made a lot of buzz around the NBA when they signed small forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year deal worth $120 million from the Boston Celtics. Hayward was in the lineup on Wednesday despite a fractured pinkie finger that he suffered in a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors. He scored 28 points in 36 minutes during his Hornets’ debut.

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Zeller was one of two NBA players to break his hand during the game. On the Cavaliers side, swingman Dylan Windler of Indianapolis, Indiana, broke his ring finger while falling in the third quarter. Windler, who had three points in nine minutes while coming off the bench, missed all of last year with a broken leg he suffered during training camp. Wednesday’s game was Windler’s first of his NBA career.

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