Charlotte Hornets Report: Week 8 of 2020-21
Charlotte Hornets
LAST 4 GAMES
- vs. Philadelphia 76ers: L, 111-118
- vs. Utah Jazz: L, 121-138
- vs. Washington Wizards: W 119-97
- vs. Houston Rockets: W, 119-94
The Hornets split the Week 7 matchups and it turned out to be fine, but it would’ve been nice to pick up a big win against either the Sixers or Jazz. A win against the top teams was not in the cards, but it is nice to get back-to-back wins. I expected a win against the Wizards, but I was a little surprised to see them play the Rockets so well, especially considering the Rockets were a hot team going into the week. Some Hornets have been missing games over the last week. Terry Rozier missed the matchup last Wednesday, but has played ever since, but Devonte’ Graham has been inactive in the last 2 games. This has forced some of the guards to step up and for the most part, they did that and more. It appears that Graham is going to miss some more time, so that should continue to open opportunities up for LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk. The upcoming slate contains only 3 games and each of them are games that the Hornets can definitely win.
Week 7 MVP: LaMelo Ball
AP
The rookie has been seeing more opportunities as of late and has showed up each time a challenge is thrown at him. He averaged 24.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 6.3 RPG in the 4-game stretch last week and is making a really positive impact for the team. He shot an astounding 51.5% from three over the last 4 games also. I didn’t expect him to be starting yet, but I think from this point in the season on, he has to be starting.
NEXT 3 GAMES
- @ Memphis Grizzlies (9-10): Wednesday, February 10th at 8
- vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-18): Friday, February 12th at 7pm
- vs. San Antonio Spurs (14-11): Sunday, February 14th at 7pm
The Hornets and Grizzlies have matched up previously this season one time and it did not go in the favor of Charlotte. The Hornets lost the game 93-108, but they had the excuse of it being early in the season. This time they don’t have the same excuse, but this time the Grizz have Ja Morant back in their lineup. Since returning from his injury, Morant hasn’t been shooting the ball well, but he can definitely run up the scoreboard regardless. Jonas Valanciunas has been their most consistent player and are currently on the outside looking into the playoffs. This is a road game and the Hornets haven’t played many on the road in quite a while. Also, there will be a fan environment in Memphis, so that will definitely be different for Charlotte. We’ll see how this game turns out tonight, but I’m interested to see it all unfold.
Next, the Hornets have the T’Wolves at home. Minnesota currently has a share of the worst record in the NBA and it doesn’t feel like they should be this bad, but they are. Karl-Anthony Towns has only played in 4 games this year. He missed time with a wrist injury early in the year, but hasn’t played a game since January 13th, due to Covid issues. It is looking like he will probably make his return on Friday night against Charlotte and he is always a handful each time he shows up. Malik Beasley has probably been the most consistent player for the Wolves, but it turns out he was in the news for something not so good. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail for felony threat of violence. He will serve the time once the NBA season is over. D’Angelo Russell has been a solid player for Minnesota but is currently sidelined with a leg injury. I’d say he will be good to go, but we’ll see on Friday.
The last game of the slate is on Valentine’s Day against the Spurs. The Spurs are currently sitting in the 6 seed of the Western Conference, but this team isn’t like the Spurs teams of old. While San Antonio has always been a team-oriented squad, other than DeMar DeRozan there isn’t another star, and I don’t consider DeRozan a superstar by any means. He is a really good player though. They’re just a team filled with a lot of solid talent and the Hornets probably won’t have an easy time with them. Keldon Johnson has probably stepped up the most among the team. He has started every game this year and is averaging 14.1 PPG and 7.1 RPG. LaMarcus Aldridge is dealing with a hip injury and will miss the game on Sunday, but the Spurs are loaded on the bench. They have Patty Mills, Rudy Gay, Derrick White, Jakob Poeltl and Devin Vassell all coming off of the bench, providing some good minutes. Games like this one are games that the Hornets can either view it as a good win or a crucial loss at the end of the week, but hopefully it is a good win against a solid team.
Yacs