Frank Kaminsky Injures Shoulder vs. Suns

Charlotte Hornets big man Frank Kaminsky suffered a sprained shoulder Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, Charlotte announced Friday.

According to the announcement, Kaminsky suffered an AC joint sprain and won't play Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. He'll be re-evaluated at the end of the road trip.

Kaminsky proved to be durable during his rookie season last year, appearing in 81 games, although he did deal with a foot injury during the 2016-17 preseason.

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2015 draft arrived in Charlotte with plenty of expectations after winning the Associated Press Player of the Year award in his final season at Wisconsin, but he struggled to adapt to the NBA level. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game behind 41.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.7 percent shooting from deep.

He has followed that up with 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his second season.

At his best, Kaminsky is a versatile big man who can stretch the defense from three-point range and contribute on the boards. The Hornets will need others to fill in for the Wisconsin product until he is ready to return.

Marvin Williams offers depth and has enough athleticism to beat defenders to the rim. Charlotte also has Cody Zeller in its frontcourt rotation to help cope with the loss of Kaminsky.

The Hornets can survive a short-term injury to Kaminsky but could use the young center back to bolster what was an already thin frontcourt due to an injury to Miles Plumlee.