Charlotte Hornets Report: Week of December 18th
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LAST 4 GAMES
- @ Brooklyn Nets: W, 113-108
- @ Chicago Bulls: W, 83-73
- @ Indiana Pacers: L, 85-107
- vs. Sacramento Kings: W, 110-102
Last week, I wasn’t very optimistic for the Hornets moving forward, but just when they are starting to let me down, they turn things around. It was a good week for Charlotte and they game away with 3 wins. It looked like PJ Washington had a real shot of winning my Hornets MVP of the week, but he will miss a few games to deal with a fractured finger. A lot of player really stepped up this week. Zeller had a solid week, Graham had a career game in the Nets game, but has slowed down a bit in the last 3. My Hornets MVP of the week is Bismack Biyombo. He averaged 11 RPG in the last 4 games and has been a steady player. He’s been getting around 25 MPG in the last few games, so hopefully they use him more if he continues to find success. The next two weeks are going to be less strenuous on the Hornets because of the Holidays, but the next week may be the toughest test yet for them.
NEXT 2 GAMES
- vs. Utah Jazz (16-11): Saturday, December 21st at 5pm
- @ Boston Celtics (17-7): Sunday, December 22nd at 6pm
The Hornets are playing the Cavaliers as we speak, so I won’t go into detail about that game, but I wanted to mention that this is the first meeting between the two teams and the Cavs are the bottom dwellers of the NBA yet again, so it should be a win tonight, key word being should. Saturday, the Hornets go back home to play the Utah Jazz. The scheduling seems a little weird with the Hornets being in Cleveland tonight, flying back to Charlotte for a game on Saturday, then going to Boston less than 24 hours later. It’s a tough week for Charlotte and the matchup against the Jazz will be very tough. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season and they will end the season series in just a few weeks. The Jazz are one of the most underrated teams in basketball. They do everything at an above average level and they have a very good defensive team. The scoring combo of Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic is lethal and they always can count of their defensive anchor, Rudy Gobert. Mike Conley has also been a solid contributor for the Jazz, but he is currently out of action, so he won’t be a factor against the Hornets, possibly the whole season. It is a game that the Hornets can win, but they can’t make many mistakes, because Utah will make them pay.
Next will be another tough contest against one of the top teams in the East. The Celtics and the Hornets have played against each other early in the season and the Hornets did really have a shot in that contest at home. This time it will be on the road and against a Boston team that have had their ups and downs, but regardless are still one of the league’s best teams. Former Hornet, Kemba Walker has been their best player this season and with Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown, they are a scary team. Jaylen Brown is having the best year of his career and with Walker in their lineup, they will only get better. The Celtics have the 4thbest scoring defense in the NBA and their offense is a potent one. It will be another strong test for Charlotte, but I want to stay positive here, so I think they have a shot here.
Yacs