Written by David W. Walters

LAST WEEKS ACTION…

The Charlotte Hornets (18-25) took full advantage of a favorable schedule during a weeklong home stand, winning three out of four games to push their record in their last nine contests to 8-1 following what had been a miserable start to the season.

The Hornets dropped a very competitive game against the defending champion Spurs, but then they went on a three game win streak, knocking off the Pacers in overtime, smashing the Timberwolves in a Monday matinee and finishing it off by withstanding a late charge from a scrappy Miami Heat squad.

More impressive than the record is the return of the stingy Charlotte defense that became a trademark for the team during last seasons run to the playoffs.  The Hornets have held their last three opponents to 80 points or less, becoming the first team in the NBA to do so since March 2013. They have also held their opponents under 100 points in 10 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NBA this season.

 

On top of the Hornets rediscovered defensive intensity, they are also beginning to work their way back to full strength.  Lance Stephenson returned to the lineup last week as did Al Jefferson.  While Kemba’s knee may be a lingering issue for the season, he did return in the Hornets last game against Miami to the tune of 15 points.  The Hornets’ season will go as Kemba goes, so Charlotte has to hope that his knee will hold up throughout the rest of the season as the team makes a push to get into the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, if the season ended today, the Hornets would be tied for the eighth spot in the eastern conference with the Nets.  Brooklyn and Charlotte are two teams headed in different directions and it seems that the Detroit Pistons, surging since the release of Josh Smith, will be the Hornets best competition for one of those last playoff spots.

 

WHAT TO MAKE OF THE PAST WEEK…

What makes the Hornets recent run of success that much more impressive is the fact that they have won despite the revolving door in the training room.  Charlotte has won with different lineups as Big Al, Kemba, Lance and others have dealt with various injuries.  The extra minutes have served to fortify the reserves as they have gotten more experience with the different lineups, giving most everyone the opportunity to develop chemistry within the team.  The weeklong home stand has given players the chance for much needed rest and it has provided other players with the time to rehab their injuries.

Among the players that have benefitted from the extra minutes is Biyombo, who is in the final year of his rookie contract.  Biz has been up and down throughout his career and, just when most thought that he may never live up to his potential, he has really begun to put together an impressive run himself.  Over his last five games he has averaged 10.8 points and while shooting .606% from the field, 11.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.  I’ll focus more on Biyombo’s season and his impending future with the Hornets in more depth after this weekend, but he has definitely shown a vast improvement, and that can only be encouraging for Charlotte moving forward.

Coach Clifford has brought Stephenson back from injury slowly, yet it appears that he is gelling with his teammates better recently.  Maybe it helped that he had some time to step away from all the expectations and trade rumors and just watch and become more familiar with the system.  Either way, its nice to see him feeling more comfortable with his game, particularly since it seems, at the moment, that he will remain on the roster.

MOVING FORWARD…

The Hornets finish out the month with a decent slate of games, starting with a visit to Cleveland to face LeBron and the Cavaliers on Friday night.  This will be the third matchup this season for these two teams; Charlotte has dropped their previous two meetings; 88-97 in Cleveland and 87-91 at the Hive.

The Cavaliers have had a roller coaster season with their new additions and each time it seems they’ve found their way, they drop another game that makes us wonder if this experiment can work out.  Cleveland remains a tough opponent for the Hornets though, and they will have their hands full with the Cavs big three of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James.  MKG figures to draw the defensive assignment on James, making this the matchup to watch for this game.

It will also be interesting to see how the Hornets handle Love as he tends to stretch the floor with his shooting and playmaking skills.  Hornets centers Jefferson and Biyombo do most of their work in the post so, most likely, either Marvin Williams or Cody Zeller will draw the assignment there.

The Hornets will have to slow the Cavs transition attack to gain an advantage, and Cleveland’s offense has a tendency to stall out, so as long as the Hornets can keep up their suffocating defensive pace, they have a good chance to come out on top in this one.

The Hornets are back in action the next night as the face the New York Knicks for the final time this season at the Hive.  The Hornets are 2-1 in the teams previous two meetings with the last matchup being a complete blowout as Charlotte ran away 110-82.  At one point in the game, the Hornets led by over 40 points, while that may not be the case this time, Charlotte needs to capitalize on their opportunity to get another victory under their belt against a team that is reeling and shows no signs of pulling it together anytime soon.

New York remains near the bottom of the league in most categories but they are particularly awful on offense, with the day-to-day Carmelo Anthony being the only real offensive threat the Knicks have.  Look for Charlotte’s defense to snuff this one out early, I assume this Knicks team will have a hard time finding a way to score against a hot Hornets D.

The Hornets get a few days off to rest until Wednesday, when they face the San Antonio Spurs again, this time in Texas.  Charlotte played a strong game the last time these two teams faced each other with an energetic Biyombo leading the way with 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks while filling in for the injured Jefferson.

Manu Ginobli gave the Hornets all kinds of problems in their matchup in Charlotte last week with 27 points on 10-14 shooting.  Somebody always steps up to get buckets for the Spurs against the Hornets and with the way San Antonio moves the ball gives them a myriad of options to score with plus, the Spurs have young forward Kawhi Leonard back in the lineup this time around.

The Hornets travel to Denver to close out the month of January, and this gives them another winnable situation on the road.  The Nuggets have had their share of problems so far this season yet they have managed to carve out a decent record in the daunting western conference.  Denver maintains an uptempo pace on offense, scoring almost 102 points per contest.  That offense, combined with their strong rebounding is going to test the Hornets defense.

Charlotte will have to contend with the “Manimal” Kenneth Faried, Denver’s strong and ultra athletic forward down low.  Most recently, he is coming off a 26 point, 14 rebound performance against the Spurs and he tends to have good games against Charlotte, so look for this to be an important matchup to watch.  Walker vs. Ty Lawson will be a great matchup in this game as well since both point guards heavily dictate the pace of their respective teams offenses.

The Hornets have an opportunity to go 2-2 or even possibly 3-1 to finish out the month, which would punctuate a remarkable turnaround for a Hornets team that came into 2015 on life support.  Enjoy the action Hornets fans and, until next time, KEEP BUZZING!!!

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

 

 

(Written by David Walters)

LAST WEEKS ACTION…

An injury riddled Charlotte team (15-24) has been riding Kemba Walker’s hot hand during a five game win streak that has left the once reeling Hornets only two games out of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

 

A few of the wins have been against teams that are dragging along in the doldrums of the league (Orlando, Boston, and New York) but the quality wins against New Orleans and Toronto stand out because of the way Charlotte was able to hold off late charges by both teams.  The NBA is typically a game of runs, and the Hornets have shown a penchant this season for coughing up late leads.  These games show that this team can pull together to withstand a late game push and ideally it will serve as a confidence boost for a team that sorely needed one.

 

Walker has averaged 30.2 points, 6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per outing during the streak while shooting an efficient 49.5% from the field and 40% from long range.  Injuries to multiple Hornets players, including Lance Stephenson’s lingering groin issue, and more recently Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller and P.J. Hairston, has opened up the lane and an opportunity for Kemba to be the focal point of Charlotte’s offensive attack.

 

Over the past couple of weeks Walker has come up huge for the Hornets, hitting clutch shots, a game winner and also setting a career high in scoring with 42 points on December 27^th against the Magic.  He has put this team on his back while doing his best Allen Iverson impression along the way.

 

Walker isn’t the only guard getting into the groove for Charlotte though; Gerald Henderson has gotten in on the action as well, averaging 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the first six games of the year, including a season high 31 points against Toronto on January 8^th.  While Hendo is no world-beater, he does provide a steady hand and a veteran presence next to Walker in the backcourt.

 

WHAT TO MAKE OF THE PAST WEEK…

It seems that the Hornets are starting to find their way despite the common theme of injuries that started in training camp and have continued to plague this team throughout the season.  The afore mentioned Walker and Henderson haven’t gotten Charlotte through this alone as someone has managed to step up each game to help the team find a way to compete.

 

MKG has played well since returning from a nagging foot injury and has averaged a double double with 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds through six games so far in 2015, and Zeller has further developed into the energy player that the Hornets expected when they drafted him.  But from Brain Roberts becoming more confident on the floor to Hairston matching a career high off the bench against New York to a very strong performance by Bismack Biyombo who is filling in for an injured Big Al, the Hornets depth has pulled through despite the rotating door in the training room.

 

Lance Stephenson looks to work his way back into the rotation at some point during the next week, possibly even as soon as the Spurs game.  He has missed the last 14 games and the Hornets have found chemistry without Lance in the lineup.  It will be interesting to see in what capacity coach Clifford brings Lance back and more importantly, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be a good fit with this Charlotte roster, with rumblings of him having problems meshing with the other players in the locker room.

 

MOVING FORWARD…

Hopefully the Hornets can ride their momentum into a favorable four game home stand over the next week.  The first matchup will really test the Hornets meddle when the San Antonio Spurs come to Charlotte for their lone visit to the Hive.  The Spurs are going to be on the second game of a back-to-back after playing in Washington the night before.  This could work out in the Hornets favor, as Spurs coach Greg Popovich has no problem resting his players in back-to-back situations.

 

The Spurs have had a few injury issues this season but they have continued to play at a high level as usual, ranking in the top ten in most offensive categories while also ranking 12^th in defensive efficiency.  Starters Tim Duncan (age) and Tony Parker (hamstring) will most likely play limited minutes and forward Kawhi Leonard will miss the game as he has been out with a hand injury; but that doesn’t mean that the Spurs lack offensive firepower.  Guard Patty Mills recently returned to San Antonio’s lineup, and he scorched Charlotte last year in a 32-point performance; he and guards Cory Joseph and Danny Green can provide their share of offense when given the opportunity.  You can bet that this will be a tough matchup, but it’s also a game that could amount to a heat check for a hot Hornets team coming off several days rest.

 

 

 

Next up on Saturday, the Pacers come to the Hive for their second matchup against the Hornets, ironically on Lance Stephenson bobblehead night (you can be certain Lance wants to be in the lineup for this one).  Indiana has had a rough season so far after losing their budding superstar Paul George to an offseason leg injury.  While they continue to be inept on offense, ranking near the bottom of the league in most categories, they are second in points allowed on defense and they continue to be a top rebounding team.

 

The Pacers, who will also come to Charlotte on the second game of a back-to-back, have also pulled it together recently and are just ahead of the Hornets as they race to grab onto a playoff spot.  Starting point guard George Hill has been out with a groin injury so that may open up some more opportunities for Walker to operate but he will have to contend with 7’2” center Roy Hibbert in the paint.  This will be the second time these teams meet this season; the Hornets lost the last matchup, 86-88, on a last second Solomon Hill tip-in.

 

Then on Monday, the Hornets will face a reeling Minnesota Timberwolves team for a 2:00 matinee matchup for MLK Day.  The Timberwolves have been decimated by injuries this season, a seemingly common theme for most teams this year, and they haven’t won a game since December 10^th.  This is a team that was shaped this offseason through the Kevin Love trade and they sport a young roster featuring talented rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine.

 

Minnesota ranks low across the board in most categories and they play the way you would expect of a team that is headed up by such a youth movement.  This is as winnable a game as the Hornets will see this season, making it a real trap game for Charlotte.  The Hornets will need to pounce on the Wolves early to set the tempo, and hopefully they will be able to chalk this one up as a victory.

 

The last game of the Hornets weeklong home stretch will be next Wednesday against Chris Bosh and the Heat.  While Miami has retained their defensive intensity post-LeBron, they have been anemic in all other phases of the game, ranking in the bottom of teams in rebounding and offensive efficiency.  Bosh started the season very strong and, although he has cooled off just a bit, he typically has big games against Charlotte.  How the Hornets plan to handle him defensively will be key to the outcome of this game.

 

Of course they still have Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng on the wings but after that, there is a steep drop off in the level of a team that dominated the league over the past four seasons.  This will be the third time these teams have met this season; they have split the season series 1-1, with the Hornets dropping their last meeting, 93-94, after a late game collapse.

 

There are definitely some winnable games coming up this week for the Hornets as they continue to climb their way back into the playoff picture.  Realistically, I see the potential for Charlotte to come out 4-0 or at least 3-1 during this weeklong home stand with a favorable schedule and no back-to-back games.  Either way, this sure has been a fun team to watch as of late.  Enjoy the ride Hornets fans and, until next time, KEEP BUZZING!

 

 

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.