Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of December 11th
LAST 5 GAMES
- vs. Phoenix Suns: L, 104-109
- vs. Golden State Warriors: W, 106-91
- vs. Brooklyn Nets: L, 104-111
- vs. Atlanta Hawks: L, 107-122
- vs. Washington Wizards: W, 114-107
The Hornets Report is a couple days late, so if you notice that there is an extra game, that is the reason why. The Hornets had a 5-game home stretch, but couldn’t capitalize the way that they should have. They only won 2 of the 5 and they could’ve really came out of this home stretch feeling good, but here they are. They currently sit at 6 games below .500 and 10th in the Eastern Conference. While they are only 2.5 games from the 8 seed, the chances for them to be a playoff team seem pretty slim. Even though the loss to the Suns hurt the most due to the circumstances of the game, the Hawks loss was the most embarrassing of the week. It’s one thing to lose to the Hawks, but losing to the Hawks by 15 at home is just bad. Although I thought PJ Washington made a strong case for Hornets MVP of the Week, it would just feel wrong if it went to anyone other than Devonte’ Graham yet again. He averaged 23.6 PPG and 8.8 APG over the home stretch. The next 3 games for Charlotte are all going to be on the road and it isn’t going to be easy for the Hornets coming up in the next 2-3 weeks.
NEXT 3 GAMES
- @ Brooklyn Nets (13-10): Wednesday, December 11th at 7:30pm
- @ Chicago Bulls (8-17): Friday, December 13th at 8pm
- @ Indiana Pacers (15-9): Sunday. December 15th 5pm
Tonight, the Hornets will be playing the Brooklyn Nets and this will be the third meeting between the two teams. The Nets have won the previous 2 games and things aren’t looking great for the Hornets here on the road. The Hornets played last night and in back-to-back games this year, the Hornets are 1-4. The Nets are still without Kyrie Irving, but still are a very solid unit without him. Spencer Dinwiddie has kept the pace that had in their previous meetings and they’re getting very solid minutes from Taurean Prince, Joe Harris, and Jarrett Allen. A win here would be big for Charlotte, but it isn’t something I’m expecting tonight.
Next up is the Chicago Bulls and this is another team that the Hornets have seen already. Like the Nets, this will be the third meeting between the two teams, but this time they have one win apiece. The last matchup was a heartbreak for the Hornets, but hopefully they make things right in Chicago. This time the Hornets will have to shake things up to slow down Zach Lavine, who scored 49 in their last meeting. Tomas Satoransky and Wendell Carter Jr. have been lower profile key factors for the Bulls this season and their passing and rebounding skills should be limited if the Hornets want to have a shot in this one.
The Hornets will face the Pacers on Sunday on the road and this is a game that the Hornets can win. They faced once earlier in the season and the Hornets came away with a win in OT. That game was in Charlotte, but I think they have another decent chance here. Devonte’ Graham had his career best scoring night against the Pacers this season and look for him to be the main contributor again for Charlotte. The Pacers are currently led by Malcolm Brogdon, but TJ Warren and Domantas Sabonis are both contributing at a nearly equal rate. The Pacers are currently sitting at the 6 spot in the Eastern Conference, but as of late they have been playing good basketball. They have 8 wins in their last 11 games, so the Hornets will be in for a tough game, but I think this goes back to the ideology of if you beat them once, then you can beat them again.
Yacs