Charlotte Hornets

LAST 4 GAMES

- @ Houston Rockets: W, 122-97

- vs. Miami Heat: W, 110-105

- vs. Phoenix Suns: L, 97-101 (OT)

- @ Washington Wizards: W, 114-104

Happy April Fool’s Day everyone. I mentioned last week that it would be ideal for the Hornets to pick up 3 wins in last week’s slate, they did just that. If you have taken a gander at the standings lately, it isn’t an April Fool’s joke, the Hornets are sitting at the 4 seed in the East. They had a great month of March and it has solidified them as a possible contender in the conference.

The Hornets played well last week, and they could’ve easily had a sweep, but had one loss against a very solid Suns team in OT. They have shot efficiently all year from three and it was no different this week. They shot over 40% from long distance in the last 4.

It is the first time, other than the All-Star Break, that the Hornets didn’t start the week on a Wednesday. Also, they have a shorter week, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a tough week. The Hornets have already started their 6-game road stretch, but this is by and large the toughest run they will face in that stretch. They have 3 games in the span of 4 days and that is a lot of basketball in a short span.

Week 14 MVP: Devonte’ Graham

Terry Rozier was probably the best player this week to be honest, but I wanted to give a shoutout to Devonte’ Graham for his performance this week. LaMelo Ball went down with a possible season-ending injury last week and Graham has really stepped up in his place. Graham is returning to his old form it appears as he shot 45.5% from long range in his last 4. He averaged 21.0 PPG and 5.0 APG in those games as well. It was a very nice week for Graham and hopefully, we will see more of the same in a tough upcoming week.

NEXT 3 GAMES

- @ Brooklyn Nets (33-15): Thursday, April 1st at 7:30pm

- @ Indiana Pacers (21-25): Friday, April 2nd at 8pm

- @ Boston Celtics (23-25): Sunday, April 4th at 6pm

Their first matchup will be tonight, and they will face the best team in the East. The Hornets will get some nation exposure tonight and it will be cool to see them play on TNT, but with that being said, the Nets are just an unfair team. James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and now LaMarcus Aldridge. This team is a literal dream team and I don’t remember a team having this much talent at any given time. The Hornets and the Nets met earlier this year and surprisingly enough, it was a Hornets win. In fact, it was the Hornets first win of the year. It was before Harden, Griffin and Aldridge joined the team, but still, they were a good team then as well. I think the Hornets have a real shot at a win though. The Nets are going to be without, Durant, Harden, and Griffin, so I think Charlotte has a real shot.

The Pacers are next, and they are on the brink of the 8-seed cut off. With the playoff format changes coming up, it is a real possibility that the Pacers make it in, but they’re going to have to play tougher basketball to solidify that. Brogdon and Sabonis are the leaders of the team in scoring with 20+ PPG. They’re still a really good team and certainly a team that the Hornets shouldn’t take lightly, but then again, it should be another good win for Charlotte. This will be the final matchup between both teams, so hopefully we see the Hornets close out the season series.

Next on the ledger is the Celtics. Surprisingly enough, this is the first matchup between these two teams this season, but they will meet up two more times after this Easter Sunday. This Celtics team isn’t like the teams of the not-so-distant past. They have been mediocre. They’re currently the 8-seed in the East and have played average, at best, basketball. This is now Jayson Tatum’s team and Kemba Walker has taken a back seat to let him and Jaylen Brown shine more. They’re a team capable of making some noise, but they haven’t showed it this season. Robert Williams has played solid in his increased role, but they’re weakness is the frontcourt. If they can figure out those problems in time for the playoffs, they could be a scary team, but for now, they’re just another team with wasted talent.

Yacs

Charlotte Hornets Report: Week 15 of 2020-21