Charlotte Hornets Report – Week of Nov. 24th- 30th
Credit: Charlotte Hornets
Last 4 Games
- vs. Philadelphia 76ers: L, 122-119 (OT)
- vs. Boston Celtics: W, 117-112
- vs. Indian Pacers: W, 127-109
- @ Oklahoma City Thunder: L, 109-104
After a tough stretch in the last 4 games, the Hornets split wins and losses at 2 apiece. Still at a .500 record, the Hornets looked very solid against tough competition this past week, even though they dropped 2 games. In that stretch of 4 games, the Hornets star PG, Kemba Walker, averaged 36 PPG and was briefly the NBA’s leading scorer. Losing to Philadelphia at home, in overtime, was the most difficult loss for them this week. If the Hornets could’ve gotten the W in that game, if feel the direction of the team would shift completely. Walker wasn’t the only Hornet putting in work though, Jeremy Lamb had a very solid stretch of games averaging 19.3 PPG, also Dwayne Bacon provided solid minutes off the bench, averaging 14.5 over the last 2 games.
The Hornets are coming off possibly their toughest stretch of games in the season and entering possibly one of the easier stretch they will meet. The first game of the next 4, they will meet up with the Atlanta Hawks on the road, then will go back home for the next 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Hawks again, and the Utah Jazz. 3 of the 4 games are against teams that are at or near the bottom of their respective conferences, but the Bucks are one of the best teams in the East, which will be a difficult test for the Hornets.
The first and third game of the 4-game stretch will be against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have the worst record in all of basketball, sitting at 3-16 on the year. Currently the Hawks premiere player is rookie PG Trae Young, who is averaging 15.6 PPG and 7.8 APG for the year. Jeremy Lin will also be coming back to Buzz City. Lin was a key factor in the Hornets last playoff appearance and is looking to help his current team get at least 1 win against his former team. Another player to look out for in these matchups is John Collins. The PF out of Wake Forest has only played 4 games this year and will look to put things in gear over the next couple of games.
In the second game, Giannis comes to town and it will not be an easy way out for the Hornets. The Bucks have the 2nd best record in the East and have improved tremendously this year under new HC Mike Bundenholzer. The Greek Freak is having the best year of his 6-year career and it doesn’t look like he will be slowing down anytime soon at age 23. Surprisingly the Milwaukee Bucks are leading the NBA in scoring at 121 PPG and hold the largest point differential by a good margin at +12.1. The Hornets and Buck met up once already, it was the season opener where the Bucks got the W 113-112. Kemba Walker was the leading man in the game with 41 points, although Giannis Antetokounmpo had a very impressive 25 point, 18 rebound, and 8 assist performance to help lead the Bucks to victory. This matchup will be at home for the Hornets so it could swing their way in this one.
Even though the Jazz haven’t gotten off to a great start, they are far from a slouch team. The Jazz are led by Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, and Rudy Gobert. After an impressive rookie season, Donovan Mitchell is doing more of the same this season. The Jazz have a solid defense, anchored by Gobert who lurks around the top of the block category each year. The killer for the Jazz this season is their offense. They can’t seem to get things going, but look for them to do so against the Hornets next Friday night. One of the more underrated offenses with meet up with a solid defense, I have a feeling it will come down to who shoots the ball better in the matchup.
*If you spend $25 or more on hornetsfanshop.com, you will receive 25% off of your order using code: 25SAVE . The offer code is valid through the end of the day, but many other great deals last through November 30th.
*Also, as a part of Cyber Monday, if you buy your regular season tickets online, there will be no additional fess. This offer ends Monday November 26th.