Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of November 18th
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LAST 3 GAMES
- vs. Memphis Grizzlies: L, 117-119
- vs. Detroit Pistons: W, 109-106
- @ New York Knicks: W, 103-102
The Hornets walked away with 2 wins last week and they were absolute nail-biters. The loss against the Grizzlies was a disappointing one, but one that they appeared to recover from. All games were close and it feels like this will be a pattern for the rest of the season. There are some takeaways from last week and a big one is the great play from the guards. Malik Monk looks like he is getting more playing time and that is great for the team. Devonte’ Graham is remaining consistent in his great play and Terry Rozier had a great week and he also happens to be my MVP of the week for the club. Nic Batum is back from an injury and it looks like things should return to a normal flow. The upcoming week may contain a great deal of close games, but I think the Hornets can walk away with a winning record after this slate of games, if they can play well on the road.
NEXT 4 GAMES
- @ Toronto Raptors (8-4): Monday, November 18th at 7:30pm
- @ Brooklyn Nets (5-7): Wednesday, November 20th at 7:30pm
- @ Washington Wizards (3-8): Friday, November 22nd at 7pm
- vs. Chicago Bulls (4-9): Saturday, November 23rd at 7pm
Tonight, the Hornets will face their toughest matchup of the week when they take on the defending NBA champs on the road. It will be a difficult game, but the Raptors will be without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. Pascal Siakam has clearly taken the next step and is quickly becoming a nearly elite level talent. He is currently averaging 26.2 PPG and 8.7 RPG on the year. Siakam will be a tough matchup for rookie PJ Washington, but that isn’t the only thing to look out for in this game. The Raptors are currently the 2nd most efficient 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so the Hornets will have to defend harder on long-range shots in this one.
Next, we have the Nets and they’re not a slouch of a team either. I think the Nets are a lot better than their 5-7 record shows at the moment. This will be a tough matchup for the Hornets and aside from the fact that Kyrie Irving is now with the team, they have a really good scoring attack. The Nets are dealing with a couple of injuries and it could wind up helping the Hornets. Irving isn’t playing in their game tonight and it is possible that he may miss Wednesday’s game against the Hornets, but I wouldn’t count on it. Caris LeVert appears that he will be out of action too. Kevin Durant is also someone worth mentioning, because he joined the team this offseason, but he isn’t expected to play this year. The Nets are an aggressive team and they are a great team on the boards, so it should be a physically demanding game for the Hornets.
The Wizards have the 2nd best scorer in the NBA at the moment in Bradley Beal and he is always a player to watch out for. They have a potent offense as a team, but they are horrible on defense. They score the 3rd most in the NBA, but they allow the most points in the league, it seems like they are the NBA’s version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The key in this game will simply be to slow down their offense and try to keep up. Other than Beal, players to look out for are Isaiah Thomas and rookie Rui Hachimura. Hachimura has started every game and is averaging a solid 13.1 PPG, so far.
For the last game of the slate, the Hornets are going back home to face a team that they saw in the first game of the season. They defeated the Bulls 126-125 back in October and it gives them a little insight of what to expect in their second matchup of the year. Lauri Markkanen had a monster 35 point, 17 rebound performance, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulls to get the win. Right now, the Bulls aren’t an awesome team, but they could be serious contenders in the East within a couple years. They have a solid base and a lot of young talent, but for now, it is a winnable game for Charlotte. Also, a few of us from The Sports Chief will be at this game, so you may see us there.
Yacs