Charlotte Hornets Report - Week of February 9th - 14th
Credit: NBA
LAST 3 GAMES
- vs. Chicago Bulls: W, 125-118
- vs. Los Angeles Clippers: L, 115-117
- @ Dallas Mavericks: L, 93-98
We like to start your Saturday mornings off the right way at The Sports Chief, with a weekly Charlotte Hornets Report. Another week is in the books and sadly it’s another underwhelming week for Buzz City. To start off last week, they beat the Bulls and it was a game that was largely undecided until the 4th Quarter. In the Clippers game, it looked like the Hornets had a victory secured, but a late surge by the opponent cost them the victory. If you didn’t watch the game and only looked at the box score, you would imagine the Clippers would’ve won by 20, but the Hornets actually led for the majority of the game. The Dallas game was close throughout, but it just didn’t seem like the Hornets find any offensive consistency. It is good to finally see Cody Zeller back on the court and it looks like he is back to his old self. Personally, I didn’t think the game outcomes were the biggest let down of the week. I thought the biggest disappointment was a no-show by the Hornets at the Trade Deadline. They didn’t make a single trade and for a team that really needed to do so, it was very discouraging. There were rumors that Marc Gasol was strongly considered by the Hornets and I was excited for the idea of Marc Gasol being on the Hornets, but it didn’t happen and now he is a member of the Toronto Raptors. I figured Frank Kaminsky would’ve been dealt at the deadline, but he is still with the club and still riding the bench. It really is a shame to see that, but we’ll see if they reach a buyout agreement or if he will stay. The Hornets have three games in the upcoming week and then they get a break. The team will get some much-needed rest, but the city of Charlotte will be working overtime. All-Star Weekend is coming to town next week and I’m very excited for the big opportunity in Charlotte. After no activity at the Deadline, I don’t expect the Hornets to contend for anything, but could still make it into the playoffs. They are above the cutoff line, but the distance between them and the line is diminishing.
NEXT 3 GAMES
- @ Atlanta Hawks (18-36): Saturday, February 9th at 7:30pm
- @ Indiana Pacers (36-19): Monday, February 11th at 7pm
- @ Orlando Magic (23-32): Thursday, February 14th at 7pm
First up on the slate is a game against the Atlanta Hawks on the road. Their record shows that the Hawks aren’t a very good team, but I think they are a legitimate threat for the Hornets tonight. If the core group of this team stays together, I think they could be a solid team in the East for a while. As I have said before, the Hornets are not a good road team, as a matter of fact, they are 7-19 on the year. It will not be a stroll in the park for Charlotte in this one. John Collins is looking like a future star and Trae Young is starting to get his feet wet in the NBA. The key to victory for the Hornets will be forcing turnovers. Atlanta gives up the ball the most of any team in the NBA and it isn’t even close at 18 times per game. They also give up the most points per game at 118.2. Judging by the way Charlotte has played lately, this will not be an easy game. I’ve had my eye on the Hawks lately and they can force their way late into games. Look for this one to be a surprisingly close game.
Next, we have the Pacers. The Pacers are still sitting at 3rdin the East, but I don’t know for how long. Victor Oladipo is now out for the season and he played a large part in the Pacers success. Are they still a playoff caliber team? No doubt, but they are not as good and it will show against the Hornets on Monday night. Indiana is currently on a 4-game win streak and could easily be up to 5 when they face the Hornets. Every game for the Hornets this week is on the road and this one will be the most difficult game of the week. The Pacers have the number one scoring defense in the NBA and they are 5th in FG efficiency. When Oladipo got injured, multiple members of the Indiana basketball team have stepped up to fill the void. One player in particular has been on fire lately scoring the ball. Bojan Bogdanović has averaged 22 PPG in the last 4 and will be a threat for the Hornets. It will be difficult to beat the Pacers in Indiana, so the Hornets will have to play exceptionally well and outsmart them for the entirety of the game.
The last game before All-Star break will be against the Orlando Magic on the road. The Magic have a 23-32 record, but personally, I don’t think that is a testament to the team that they can be. They have a solid defense and they’re offense is just underperforming this year. The Magic made a big splash at the Trade Deadline by acquiring Markelle Fultz. The guard is currently injured, but I’m anxious to see him on the court when he gets healthy. I hope he finds success in Orlando, because there obviously wasn’t a spot for him in Philadelphia. The Magic have played pretty solid basketball as of late. They have beat the Pacers, Nets, and Timberwolves in their last 4 games, but dropped one against a powerful Oklahoma City team on the road. Terrence Ross is a player that I thought would be dealt at the deadline, because he has been on fire scoring the basketball, but he is still with the Magic and will be a force against the Hornets on Valentine’s Day. Nikola Vučević is always a threat and honestly this us a matchup that could be a heart breaker. Let’s hope the Hornets won’t leave Orlando on Valentine’s Day with a broken heart.
Yacs