Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of March 2nd - 8th

Credit: Charlotte Hornets

LAST 4 GAMES

-      vs. Brooklyn Nets: L, 115-117

-      vs. Golden State Warriors: L, 110-121

-      vs. Houston Rockets: L, 113-118

-      @ Brooklyn Nets: W, 123-112

The Hornets had a tough stretch of games last week and walked away with only one win. The loss against the Nets came down to the last seconds of the game, but they just couldn’t close out. The Warriors set the pace in their 11-point win over the Hornets and in their game against the Rockets, they trade the lead a few times, but the Rockets secured the victory in the late stages. Last night, the Hornets got a much-needed win. The second quarter made the difference for the Hornets and they didn’t look back. Frank Kaminsky actually saw meaningful minutes in this contest, he scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. I don’t know the reason why Kaminsky wasn’t playing, but I’m glad the coaching staff finally came to their senses. Kaminsky is another scoring threat that can help the struggling Hornets down the stretch. Cody Zeller looks like he is finally 100-percent. In the last 4 games, he averaged 16.5 PPG and 9 REB. Miles Bridges is still in the starting lineup, which I think is a help. Jeremy Lamb is a great player and I think his ability to scoring quickly is more suitable in a 6th Man role. Nic Batum has also stepped his game up recently, averaging 15.5 PPG in his last 4 contests. The upcoming stretch for the Hornets doesn’t appear that difficult and they should walk away with at least 2 games out of the next 3. 

NEXT 3 GAMES

-      vs. Portland Trailblazers (38-24): Sunday, March 3rd at 1pm

-      vs. Miami Heat (27-34): Wednesday, March 6th at 7pm

-      vs. Washington Wizards (25-37): Friday, March 8th at 7pm

The upcoming stretch is a crucial one for Charlotte and they will need to look like a playoff team in the next few weeks. Their first game is against the Trailblazers, who are currently 4th in the Western Conference. It is no secret that the Portland club can hang with the best teams in the NBA. They have an above-average defense an efficient offense, so look for the Hornets to have a tough time with them. The two teams met on January 11th in Portland and the Trailblazers took the win, 127-96. The Trailblazers held the Hornets to just 40 percent from the field and the Hornets looked like they pull together any kind of scoring stretch. Hopefully this time will be different for Charlotte at home. The Trailblazers now have Enes Kanter coming off the bench, so it is one more thing to worry about for Charlotte, but this is definitely a game that they can get a sneaky win in. 

The next game on the slate will be an intriguing matchup. It will be two fringe playoff contenders squaring off to secure a much-needed win. The Miami Heat, much like the Hornets, have not been playing good basketball lately. They currently sit at 10th in the East, just 1.5 games back from the 8th place Hornets. The two teams met twice in October and the Hornets snagged the wins in both contests. After LeBron left Miami, it seems like these two teams are nearly identical and their matchups almost never disappoint. Look for this one to be an exciting contest. The Heat have the 4th worst scoring offense in the NBA, but they have the 6th best scoring defense. Look for them to try to keep the game under 100 points. For the Hornets, playing at a faster pace could be a key to victory. 

The last game of the 3-game slate will be against the Washington Wizards. They sit 4 games back from the playoff line and look to pull together a string of victories. John Wall is injured and Bradley Beal has stepped up his game in his absence. Since Wall has been out, Beal is averaging 28.8 PPG, 5.4 REB, and 6.3 AST. I remember back at the trade deadline; the Hornets were looking to acquire Beal in a trade and I wish that would’ve happened. Beal is playing top-level basketball at the moment. The two teams met just a little over a week ago and the Hornets took the victory, although Bradley Beal scored 46 points in the contest. Look for the Hornets to have similar results at home, but look for the Wizards to come out firing early on in the contest. 

Yacs