Charlotte Hornets small forward Cody Martin has yet to make his return to game action after missing much of last season to quad and knee injuries. He underwent a successful arthroscopic surgery last November and every time he tried to make his comeback, he had a minor setback.
"I think just like with any injury, a lot of it is more than just the injury itself," Martin said at Hornets media day before the start of the 2023-24 season. "Sometimes it's getting back in the rhythm of things. Some of that stuff varies. For me, I have to make sure [I'm ready] because I think there were a few times last year I tried to go and I might not had been 100% and that's trial and error. And learning from that, the best thing I can do is make sure that there are no setbacks.
"I'm optimistic in general with my approach and I believe that I'm going to be there at 100%. We just have to be smart about when that is and when to take those steps. A lot of that is just collaboration between us to where we have to make sure that we both are in a good spot to introduce different things and when it's time to get on the floor, making sure I'm in a good spot to where we all feel comfortable that when I'm out there I can be myself."
Martin has appeared in a total of just seven games since he inked a four-year, $31.3M deal with Charlotte in July of 2022. The status of Martin's knee is going to become a major talking point if he remains on the shelf for another three to four weeks. Throughout his recovery, there have been very few and/or detailed updates provided.
Following Friday night's win over Toronto, head coach Steve Clifford spoke about the type of progress he is making.
"I mean, he's a lot closer. I don't know in terms of like what a timetable would be -- I don't know. I mean, he's doing a lot more. He's been coming through the harder workouts better, feeling better. Fingers crossed on that one."
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