Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of November 4th
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LAST 3 GAMES
- @ Los Angeles Clippers: L, 96-111
- @ Sacramento Kings: W, 118-111
- @ Golden State Warriors: W, 93-87
The West Coast mini-road trip is over and the Hornets split the games 2-2. Although they didn’t look great against the Clippers last Monday night, they redeemed themselves with wins over the Kings and Warriors. I saw the Kings win coming, but it’s crazy to think that the Hornets defeated the Warriors on the road. Granted, Stephen Curry was injured earlier in the week and will miss significant time. Along with Curry, Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell missed the game also. The current Warriors are nearly unrecognizable and the Hornets were fortunate enough to face this team at this moment in time. My MVP for this week is the newly acquired Terry Rozier. It looks like he is getting comfortable with the team and he averaged 19.7 PPG and 5 assists over the last three games. I’ve also been very impressed with PJ Washington, who looks like he could be a key piece moving forward for Charlotte. The Hornets next 3 will be at home, but they finish off this week’s slate on the road, so hopefully they can get into a groove coming up.
NEXT 4 GAMES
- vs. Indiana Pacers (3-3): Tuesday, November 5 at 7pm
- vs. Boston Celtics (4-1): Thursday, November 7 at 8pm
- vs. New Orleans Pelicans (1-5): Saturday, November 9 at 7pm
- @ Philadelphia 76ers (5-0): Sunday, November 10 at 6pm
First on the slate is the Indiana Pacers and this will not be an easy game on Tuesday. They look a little different from last year, but they are still a very solid unit. Malcolm Brogdon is now with the team and he has led the Pacers in scoring this season. Domantas Sabonis is in his fourth year and is getting very comfortable with the Pacers. They also have former Hornet, Jeremy Lamb and they added former NC State star, TJ Warren this year. They are currently without Victor Oladipo. He will likely not be out much longer, but will miss Tuesday’s contest. The Pacers started the year off with three straight losses, but have won three straight and have momentum going into Tuesday’s game. It still should be interesting though.
This is the most interesting game on the slate, for obvious reasons. It is the return of Kemba Walker back to Charlotte, but he’ll be wearing a different jersey. It also will be on TNT, which will be a rarity for the Hornets this season, so enjoy it while it lasts. It is no secret that the Celtics are one of the best teams in the East, so it is also no secret that this will be one of the toughest games for the Hornets all season long. It should be a warm welcome for Kemba, but without a doubt, it will be bittersweet.
The Pelicans are next for a weekend home matchup. The Pelicans no longer have their superstar big man, Anthony Davis and the team just isn’t the same. It looks like Brandon Ingram will be an integral piece for them moving forward and he and Jrue Holiday are a solid scoring combo. It’s also worth noting that four former Duke players are on the Pelicans roster and they even call it Duke South. This matchup should honestly be pretty close for the Hornets, although the Pelicans are 1-5 to start the year. I expect it to be a close game, but nonetheless, a game they should win.
The Celtics will be a tough matchup, but Philadelphia is probably a tougher matchup at the moment. The Sixers are another great team in the East and one that has the potential to still be playing in June. Joel Embiid will be back by Sunday and the Sixers look like they will have their full lineup against Charlotte. The Hornets will be on the road, which will be a tough feat to overcome. Tobias Harris is entering his first full season within the organization and Al Horford and Josh Richardson are making an immediate impact with the team. The 76ers are a dominant team and this game may could get away from Charlotte pretty quickly if they aren’t careful.
Yacs