(AP)

CHARLOTTE – Rookie Michael Carter-Williams is not made of glass.

In not so many words, that’s what 76ers coach Brett Brown said at the team’s morning shootaround Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena. Brown does not view the injuries to Carter-Williams, the latest of which prompted the Sixers to keep him from traveling with the team, is a trend.

Sixth man Tony Wroten will start in Carter-Williams’ place.

“Some of it is related to bad luck. Some of it his body and (he’s) young and (playing) big minutes and other things,” Brown said of Carter-Williams. “I’m sticking more with luck than a trend. I think his competitiveness and his toughness is a good thing where he’ll learn to get through some things as time unfolds. But these recent things, he should be sat. He should be left at home.”

Carter-Williams stayed home to continue receiving treatment on the swollen right knee that he initially injured last Sunday. The rookie point guard played through it Tuesday, though the soreness got the best of him Thursday, forcing him to become a spectator at practice.

He’s had two injuries through the Sixers’ first 20 games, leading Carter-Williams to sit out five games – Friday’s against the Bobcats included. And Brown does not give Carter-Williams good odds to suit up Saturday against visiting Denver, either.

Brown chalked up Carter-Williams’ injuries to “unfortunate circumstances,” he said.

"We all wish we was playing, and so does he. It’s not something that you look at as a negative. It’s a series of bad-luck and unfortunate circumstances,” Brown said. “Ultimately those people that can play and avoid injuries, it’s an interesting statistic or part of persevering with people, re-signing people, chasing in a free-agent market, determining somebody’s worth. That’s bottom-line stuff, how many games in a long period of time do they normally miss? 

“Some people fall into that too-high-a-risk basket. For Michael, this is all early days and part of the process. I’m leaning on his toughness and his competitiveness. Whenever anything minor comes up, he’ll be there.”