Category Buzz Brothers

Evan & Scotty Kent! The Brothers who started “Bring Back The Buzz”

Consistently Inconsistent

markbuonocore Leave a comment

By Mark Buonocore

I woke up the morning thinking, “How in the world did we get here Hornets!” This season started with such promise, we added an All-time NBA center, got lucky with a can’t miss prospect falling to us in the draft and were supposed to be in a weak Eastern Conference! I mean we couldn’t miss right….RIGHT!?!?!

Fast forward to 28 games in and this team is 10-18 and fading fast in what turned out to be a strong Eastern Conference after all. All we as fans can do is laugh, cry or throw things at our TV as we watch this squad lose another lead or allow some NBA bench warmer to drop their career high on us. It went from this being the season where we finally got to the second round, to it being time to blow this team up and start over in 2 months. So this morning I am pacing in my living room 2,808.9 miles from Spectrum Center trying to understand what I am witnessing.

frank kaminsky

We all know injuries have played their part, but personally I’m tired of that excuse, so let us just acknowledge them and move on.

The biggest issue derailing this team is a overall lack of consistency from top to bottom.  This team is a collection of guys who despite talent, lack the ability to perform with the level of consistency needed to win the tough road game or take advantage of a good team on a back to back.  All you have to do is look at the Hornets bench, Frank Kaminsky has had 5 games scoring 5 or less points, and 5 games of scoring 18 or more! How is that even possible! We all understand that guys have an off night here and there, that is just basketball, but when 20% of the time you pull of your warm-up you end up being either a non-factor or a leading scorer that makes it difficult for coaches and team mates. We can not blame this all on Frank (even though on twitter I may sound like I do).

The Hornets bench is littered with guys who you never know what you will get from them, including Michael Carter-Williams who shows flashes of great defense at times, but has missed more lay-ups than a 7 year old at recess this season.

Of course we can’t forget our first round pick in Malik Monk, now don’t get me wrong I think the kid has a bright future, he teased us early with some amazing quarters of play. However his lack of defense and sometimes puzzling shot selection has caused him to be in and out of the line-up of late, causing a small subset of fans to become really annoying on Social Media recently.

We can’t just shine the light of truth on the bench unit though, the starters have been less than level this season as well. Nic Batum continues to fight with the elbow injury, causing him to be harder to rely on than usual. We all know Nic has talent, but i don’t think even when healthy anyone who covers the NBA would call him consistent. Marvin Williams brings his intensity and defense every night, however sometimes he clearly forgets his jump shot. He has been a solid shooter in his time here, but he has too many games this season where he just doesn’t shoot. This team needs balance to compete, and when arguably your best 3 point shooter this season takes 3 shots in 30 minutes, you are gonna struggle. Even the fearless leader of the team Kemba has been on a roller-coaster this season, struggling to find his shot at times and missing far to many open threes. How can we as fans be surprised this team is struggling when from one night to the next the coaching staff and players have no clue what the guy next to him is going to bring.

So that is how we got here, 10-18 and 13th in the not so weak Eastern Conference. Is it time to throw up our hands in defeat?

Not yet, but unless this team starts to understand its weakness and attempts to correct it, this could be a long and frustrating season in Buzz City. If that happens, inconsistency will be the #1 reason for this team’s demise, and could in fact lead us to coaching changes, front office changes and a full rebuild. At that point the only thing that will be consistent is losing, and I don’t think anyone is too excited about that.

Did You Know: Why The Original Hornets Logo Is Never Used

Scotty & Evan Leave a comment

Some of you may remember this logo and some of you may not BUT bee-lieve it or not this was the original primary logo for the Charlotte Hornets NOT the lovable, iconic logo we grew up with and are so fond of.

The Hugo logo everyone knows was actually the Hornets secondary logo.

you can see the logo being worn here…

Story has it that a little team in the NHL looked at our logo and had a big issue. The Montreal Canadiens felt that there was too much similarity between the their logo and the Hornets and legend has it they threatened legal action if this was not remedied.

So the Hornets went with the quickest fix possible and the rest is History. Funny how you can stumble upon greatness.

The change happened so quickly though that the logo was left on the trousers of the Hornets and remained until the 1991 season…

 

Charlotte: We Have a Problem.

Scotty & Evan 3 Comments

Via USA Today

I woke up this morning pretty angry.

Last night was a very rare occasion where neither one of us could either attend or watch the game. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened over our 7-8 years of existence but when we got the notification that we were heading into overtime with the Bulls our reaction was similar to this…

Image result for big sean phone gif

We have maintained for a long time that this team was just at times painfully mediocre with the potential to be above average. BUT when you can’t muster up the effort to beat a team that is on a 10 game losing streak at home…. WE ARE BAD RIGHT NOW!!!

Fun Fact: We were the last team the Bulls beat before they started their 10 game losing streak AND since the beginning of the season the Bulls have won 4 games… the Hornets account for 2 of them. 

Many would say “But we were missing Cody, Frank, Lamb and Clifford”… NO. I refuse to let that be an excuse when we had our top 4 highest paid players on the court with our All-Star point guard. you win that game against the worst team in the league. You not only win it but by the time the 4th quarter rolls around we should have a comfortable enough lead that we get to showcase our rookie Monk to the home crowd and get him some needed playing time.

Rightfully so, Hornets fans showcased their anger and frustration with the franchise last night on social media. We mostly watched and listened and asked them a few questions. Here are some of the polls we asked on Twitter.

 

That’s a telling stat right there. It’s pretty Incredible that Kemba Walker is an All-Star BUT because of this team… he’s not. Because of this team we have many that believe Kemba, The player who has done more for this franchise than any player in Hornets history, may have to be coughed up to start over.

The $72,000,000 man. I mean… Who in the league would even touch that contract with him? Even if we wanted to, who would we have to package with him to make it  even remotely digestible for another team? Dwight? the one sliver of hope we’ve had this season. Marvin? He hasn’t done anything since the Miami Heat playoff series. MKG? Monk? Now that would hurt. Let’s not even talk about it.

AHH the great debate. The process. Do we/you trust it? I mean haven’t we waited long enough in “NBA Purgutaory” (copyrighted BBTB 2015)? Haven’t we as a fan base done our time? 16 years and counting since we’ve won a playoff series. It took 14 to get a single playoff win. And would you even trust a franchise that has drafted MKG, Cody and Frank? But what is another 3, 4, 5 years of waiting to a Hornets fan?

Who’s fault is this?

And the peasants look past the soldiers and slowly lift their heads up to look at the nobles and king in the castle.

Let’s be honest. This franchise has done nothing for what looks like its going to be 14 seasons now. We’ve had 6 coaches in the past 10 years. The fan base threw them a raft with the rebrand begging the them to show life and things are beginning to feel all too familiar again. The rebrand was never meant to be the “fix”. It was meant to be a second chance to get things right. This may be shocking to some of you but this stint has been around for just about the same amount of time as the original Charlotte Hornets franchise.

Now I’m a visual guy so let’s take a look at the progress reports lined up.

Original Hornets Take 2
1988-89 20-62 2004-05 18-64
1989-90 19-63 2005-06 26-56
1990-91 26-56 2006-07 33-49
1991-92 31-51 2007-08 32-50
1992-93 44-38  E. Conf. Semis 2008-09 35-47
1993-94 41-41 2009-10 44-38  E. Conf. 1st Rnd
1994-95 50-32  E. Conf. 1st Rnd 2010-11 34-48
1995-96 41-41 2011-12 7-59
1996-97 54-28  E. Conf. 1st Rnd. 2012-13 21-61
1997-98 51-31  E. Conf. Semis 2013-14 43-39  E. Conf. 1st Rnd.
1998-99 26-24 2014-15 33-49
1999-00 49-33  E. Conf. 1st Rnd. 2015-16 48-34  E. Conf. 1st Rnd.
2000-01 46-36  E. Conf. Semis 2016-17 36-46
2001-02 44-38  E. Conf. Semis 2017-18 ?

Around the 6th season the Original Hornets had established themselves, besides the 1998-99 lockout season, as a consistent mid-40 win team that you could occasionally expect to break 50 on a good year. Consistent isn’t even a word I like using in the same sentence as the “Take 2”.

Now I know it’s not exactly fair to compare the 2 of them but it is more or less showing what can be done in 14 season and what we have done in 14 seasons.

This is the result, in our humble opinion, of complacency. As a fan base we’ve knocked the hornets nest before and forced, what felt like kicking and screaming, this organization into giving back our name. We deserve better. We should demand better. We have done our part to support this organization even when they didn’t exactly earn it and we have very little to show for it in return.

The question is what do we believe as fans we should do to make this change happen?

Buzz Breaking News: Black Unis and… White Throwbacks?

Scotty & Evan Leave a comment

So “Royal Key” was somehow given access to the Hornets’ locker room and practice facility from the team’s equipment manager Jason Rivera and got to interview him in a cool video about the player’s day-to-day equipment needs and habits. Then….

At the 11:30 mark of the video you will hear something quite interesting.

We had already known that there would be a 5th Hornets uniform this season and we speculated that it would be the return of the fan favorite “Buzz City” uniform this time with a Jordan flare, presumably SLEEVELESS and you will see it come at the end of December!!! BUT what Jason said next caught us by surprise.

He said that they will be bringing back the White throwbacks next year and that is definitely some shocking and kick-ass news!!!

Poll: Does the Absence of Curry Change Your Plans for Attending Wednesday’s Game?

Scotty & Evan Leave a comment

It is no secret that Charlotte’s fans are a little more enamored by the super star than most cities.

Rightfully so considering Charlotte is his hometown and we all grew up watching his pops in the teal and purple. But the atmosphere of Spectrum Center seems to do a complete 180 when he comes to town. The sea of teal and purple Curry jerseys shifts to a tidal wave of blue and gold ones.

This is obviously a big money maker for the home team. The prodigal son returns and with him comes the sale of thousands of tickets to seats that are usually left empty. They even completely shift their marketing campaigns for a short time. Usual montages of Kemba and company juking and dunking are replaced by clips that are filled with our own team being dominated. Odd.

Many people purchase their tickets far in advance in anticipation of the night but like lots of sports fans in Charlotte many gamble and wait until the day of to see if prices drop. THIS may have paid off for many Curry fans.

Curry rolled his ankle pretty viciously in the 4th Quarter of Monday night’s game against the Pelicans and ended up walking off in crutches. Then came the news Tuesday that Curry would be sitting out his homecoming game that he always looks forward to. He even joked that “I’m gonna have to call my dad and cancel our game of golf tomorrow”. No news on how severe the injury is yet but he seemed optimistic.

The major question this must leave to the Hornets organization is… does this impact the ticket sales we projected OR the actual number of people who will still come and buy food, beer, apparel etc.

So we ask you… HAS THIS CHANGED YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND WEDNESDAY’S GAME AGAINST THE WARRIORS?

Swarm Survey: 11/29

Scotty & Evan Leave a comment

Bring Back The Buzz is by the fans, for the fans so we wanted to start a series called “#SwarmSurvey” where we ask YOU, the fan, questions about the team and we gauge your feelings on topics from the starting line up to your opinions on beer prices in the arena and share it with our 50,000+ followers on social media. We will post the questions on Twitter during the games to get max results and hopefully get a good sense of how Hornets Nation feels. 

Some questions will be originated by the BBTB Bros others will be submitted by fans like you who can ask Hornets Nation whatever you want (Submit Your Questions Below)

Here are smoe sample questions from last night’s game and their results just to get the ball rolling.

 

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Are the Charlotte Hornets Capable of Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals?

Kyle Floyd Leave a comment

the hive

After a horrible 6 game losing streak, we have officially seen the highs and the extreme lows of the Charlotte Hornets. While the season is still early, it is fair to say that they will not get much worse than they were in those 6 games, barring a significant injury to a key player. This horrid stretch was riddled with stagnant offense, an incompetent defense, and much like last year a knack for blowing 4th quarter leads. Granted this did come at the hands of MKG and Nic being absent for a majority of the stretch, it was still very alarming to watch. With all this being said we have also been able to see a side of the Hornets that looks like it could compete for the Eastern Conference Finals. The difference in these two sides is night and day, Howard is putting up crazy numbers, the team is moving the ball, and the bench is providing instant offense. While we would all prefer the latter, is it fair to believe it can be sustained?

The first thing that needs to happen if the Hornets are going to reach the Eastern Conference Finals is more consistency, and not just with their level of play. The energy needs to be more consistent. At the start of the season you could feel the energy they were playing with almost every game, but during the last 10 games it has been stagnant. If they can sustain energy from game to game and more importantly for the entire game, it will be a huge step in the right direction. Another area the Hornets need to get more consistent in is Clifford’s rotations. The team has played well together, but it is harder for players to be prepared when they are exiting and entering the game at times they are not expecting. The biggest player having to work with this is Malik Monk. Clifford has been inconsistent with the minutes he has given to Monk and that lack of consistency can be crippling for a rookie. There have been games when Monk plays all the way to the end of the 4th like at the Knicks, and others like the two home games against the Clippers and Wizards where he did not touch the court. Monk also is not ready to play yet I personally believe, but in his defense when the minutes are inconsistent it is hard to always be prepared. All of the lineup confusion can be attributed to the erratic injuries that have plagued the team up to this point.

Kemba Walker

With a lack of all-stars in the east due to free agency, and no real impressive team other than the Boston Celtics who are without Gordon Hayward, the Hornets should be able to compete with anyone in the Eastern Conference. They have already beaten Milwaukee and Washington who are considered to be two contenders in the East, and they seem to be a different team in The Hive with a record of 7-2. The biggest problem the team has is winning road games, which can really haunt you come playoff time. They have only won ONE road game the entire season while losing 8, which is not promising for the rest of the season. Hovering around a .500 road record is good, but going 1-8 on the road to begin the season is horrendous. The deciding factors for if the Hornets can make the ECF will be determined by their ability to win road games, stay healthy, and play with consistency, not their ability to beat other teams in the east. We are capable of beating any team on any night. If we can progress in these three things we could be looking at a competitive series in the second round of the playoffs, and be fighting for an Eastern Conference Finals playoff bid.

Ticket Trends and How That Impacts the Panthers

Scotty & Evan Leave a comment

via Charlotte Observer

While it may too soon for Panthers fans to be thinking about Super Bowl tickets, with today’s onsale of the first-ever “The Night Before” concert, there’s a lot more to do around Super Bowl weekend, whether or not your planning to attend the game.  The show, which is co-produced by On Location Experiences and CBS Radio, will give 20,000 fans an opportunity to soak in the Super Bowl atmosphere at Xcel center, which is home to the Wild and every major concert that goes through the Twin Cities.

 

While parties have always been a staple of Super Bowl weekend, they’ve always been ultra exclusive, invite-only events.  For fans that didn’t have a connection to get a ticket one of the big parties, whether it’s Playboy, Maxim, ESPN, you were basically on your own to come up with a plan for the weekend, which required navigating through a ton of options. For average fans looking to get into one of the big parties, the secondary market was often the only option, with prices usually ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

With tickets as low as $67, the Dave Matthews show has created another option for fans to be a soak in the atmosphere without having to spend thousands more dollars on top of what they paid for their ticket. An article earlier this week in the Minnesota Star Tribune noted that the show’s tickets didn’t have a ‘very Super Bowl’ price.

 

For fans that are not into Dave Matthews, or just looking for a clubbier vibe, across town Florida – Georgia Line will play the 9,000-person Club Nomadic, now in it’s second year, and also run by OnLocation. The Tribune article goes on to speculate that it ‘could be the biggest Saturday night for concerts the Twin Cities has ever seen’ and tickets for that show are currently available for $200. While that’s expensive compared to the Dave Matthews price tag, it’s very affordable when compared to the prices you’d have to pay for a party like Playboy or Maxim.

 

Last year in Houston, Club nomadic was built from scratch and broken down at the end of the weekend.  This year’s version of the pop-up Club Nomadic will inhabit the Armory for three days, with two more acts still to be announced for Thursday and Friday night. Last year’s Super Bowl weekend entertainment featured Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, The Chainsmokers and Red Hot Chili Peppers.  If this years acts come anywhere close to that, it will make for an even more memorable weekend for fans that make their way to Minneapolis in February.  In addition to the acts, the Armory itself also has an interesting history, for both sports and music fans. While it has been a parking garage for over ten years, prior to that it was former home of the Minneapolis Lakers, and it also served a the backdrop for a Prince video shoot.   Unlike last year, when the parties are over this year, the Armory will remain as a brand-new 9,000-person venue that will be a major addition to the Minneapolis music and culture scene for years to come.

 

For fans that are feeling confident about the Panthers chances to return to the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 3 seasons, On Location is also currently selling an all-inclusive ticket for $7,599.  In addition to a three-night hotel stay, that ticket also includes music on Friday or Saturday night as well as access to other weekend events, like tailgates and chef tastings, including the pre-game party at the Armory and feature ‘a curated tailgate-style menu with a Minnesota flair’.

 

Considering that tickets alone to last years game were going for $5,000 dollars and over $3,500 for the Panthers visit in 2016, that seems a really good deal, and also simpler way to enjoy the entire weekend than in year’s past.  It also means that the most complicated part of the equation is now whether or not the Panthers get there.

(Sponsored Post) 

Weekly Scouting Report

dallaswpeyton18 Leave a comment

Weekly Scouting:

I was feeling a little under the weather on Sunday, so I didn’t get this written when I wanted. But I’m sitting here now soaking in a Panthers win and ready to talk about the Hornets!

 

Even though the Hornets played only 2 games this past week, they still managed to make it the most frustrating week of this season, so far. They had two roads games and got up big in both of them, yet still managed to find a way to lose them both. If the Hornets are serious about contending this year, then they better figure out how to win those games, and fast. With that being said, there is a long season ahead of them and this week offers a chance to bounce back, so let’s get on to some scouting.

 

@dallaswpeyton18

Cleveland Cavaliers (7-7) Wednesday, 11/15 at 8:00pm

Image result for cavs v. hornets

(Image from Cleveland.com)

Matchup Overview:

 

Kemba Walker and the Hornets versus LBJ and the Cavaliers at the Hive on throwback night! What more do I need to say to get you hyped for this matchup? This is the Hornet’s first matchup of the season against the team that has represented the Eastern Conference in 3 straight Finals. They also are supposed to get Batum back in this game, which hopefully can act as a catalyst for the Hornets to propel their record above .500. The teams met 4 times last season, with the Cavs sweeping the season series.

 

Recent Form:

 

The Cavs and their struggles have been one of the biggest storylines from this young NBA season. They have some decent wins against the Celtics and the Wizards, but have struggled immensely against some of the worst teams in the league like the Hawks and the Nets. They will come into this matchup with the Hornets 4-2 in their last 6 following their win on Monday v. the Knicks at MSG.

 

Key Players and Recent Performers:

Image result for lebron james cavs

(Image from USA Today)

It all starts with LeBron. The last few years, LeBron has been satisfied being more of a facilitator and letting the offense come to him, but with the team’s struggles, he has been in attack mode. He currently leads the team in points, assists, blocks, and steals per game. Outside of LeBron, the next guy up is Kevin Love who is current4ly averaging a double double of 18.5 ppg and 10.8 rpg. With Thomas still out, the team has been relying on D-Rose who is averaging 14.3 ppg, but only 1.7 apg. Also worth noting, Dwayne Wade is averaging less than 9 ppg on less than 40% shooting. There are a lot of household names on this roster, but most of them have already put their best years behind them, which might explain some of the Cavs struggles this year.

 

Key Team Stats:

 

One Positive for the Hornets: 112 Def RTG

 

The Cavs are the worst defense in the league bar none. They have struggled to stop anyone and that is the main reason that they are still under .500. Hopefully the Hornets can take advantage of the Cavs defensive rating of 112 and put up a lot of points.

One Negative for the Hornets: 108.9 Off RTG

 

On the other side of the ball, the Cavs excel at pointing up points in a hurry. Their offensive rating of 108.9 is the third highest in the league and could give the Hornets some trouble if they aren’t locked in.

 

Matchup to Watch:

Image result for lebron james v MKG

(Image from At The Hive)

LeBron James v. Michael Kidd Gilchrist. One of the main reasons that MKG is on the roster is due to his defensive prowess, and Wednesday will be his chance to prove that worth. In matchups in the past, MKG has struggled to slow down the King, but if he can force him to be a jump shooter, then he might be able to slow him down.

 

Final Thoughts:

 

With the Cavs coming to town, an appearance on national TV, the return of a key player, and the Hornets wearing their throwbacks for the first time, there should be plenty of excitement in the building on Wednesday. Hopefully the Hornets have used their longer rest to prepare for this game, and can really give the reigning East champs some trouble.

 

@. Chicago Bulls  (2-9)                                                                      Friday, 11/17 at 8:00pm

Image result for chicago bulls v hornets old school

(Image from Pinterest)

Matchup Overview:

The Hornets will follow up their meeting against the Cavs with another Central Division matchup, this time against the Bulls. Last year, the Hornets won 1 out of their 3 match ups with the Bulls. The Bulls lost a lot of talent this offseason though, and the Hornets hope to have a better record against them this season.

 

Recent Form:

 

The Bulls were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, and it is safe to say that they have no disappointed. They have wins against Atlanta and Orlando, but other than that have come up empty. They have a matchup Wednesday against the Thunder on the road before traveling home to face Buzz City on Friday.

 

Key Players and Recent Performers:

Image result for chicago bulls bobby portis and mirotic

(Image from NBA.com)

Where to begin with this roster? Their best player, by a mile, has been Bobby Portis, but with a sample size of only three games, who knows how long that will continue. In his limited action, the Bulls big man has 19 ppg and 10 rpg, while shooting almost 50% from the field. Beyond Portis, the Bulls have Lauri Markkanen, Robin Lopez, and Justin Holiday all averaging around 14 ppg. They also will be getting Mirotic back from injury following his fight with Portis during preseason, so it will be worth keeping an eye on his performances as he gets back into the rotation.

 

Key Team Stats:

 

One Positive for the Hornets: -12.4 Net RTG

 

The Bulls have been bad in all aspects of the game. Their struggles are evident in their league worst Net RTG of -12.4. The Hornets are going to be the favorites in this game and should take care of business.

 

One Negative for the Hornets: 81.3% DREB

 

The Hornets are top 5 in the NBA in defensive rebound percentage, so there are few teams that are better than them in this category, yet the Bulls are one of those teams. They are currently 3rd in the league with a defensive rebounding % of 81.3, meaning that the Hornets will not have many second chances on offense.

 

Matchup to Watch:

Image result for Marvin williams mirotic

(Image from Daily Herald)

Marvin Williams and Dwight Howard v. Lopez and Portis/Markkanen. The key matchups in this game are going to take place in the paint. All three of their leading scorers are PF or Centers and 4 of their top 6. If Marvin and DH12 can find a way to limit their effectiveness in the paint, the Hornet’s guards should be able to feast on the inexperience players on the Bulls.

 

Final Thoughts:

This is an extremely winnable game for the Hornets coming off a day of rest and they should be able to take care of business. If they have high intentions this year, then this is a must have game.

 

LA Clippers (5-7) Saturday, 11/18 at 7:00pm

Image result for clippers v hornets\

(Image from Zimbio)

Matchup Overview:

Following their Friday matchup with the Bulls in the Windy City, they will travel home to take on the Clippers at home on Saturday. This is their first matchup of the season against LA and they look to improve on their 0-2 record from last year.

 

Recent Form:

 

The Clippers have been one of the perennial playoff teams in the NBA over the last few years, but are off to a rough start this season at 5-7. They started the season off with 4 straight wins, but have only won 1 in their last 8 and have severely struggled. They open the week against the 76ers on Monday night, but then don’t play again until they travel to Cleveland on Friday. That matchup could be a tough one for the Clippers and hopefully will leave their team a little more worn out before this matchup on Saturday.

 

Key Players and Recent Performers:

Image result for blake griffin

(Image from Mercury News)

With Chris Paul gone and DeAndre Jordan underperforming so far, this is undoubtedly Blake Griffin’s team. The PF has responded well to this role and is averaging 22.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 4.7 apg. He is the guy who makes this team tick and has been instrumental in everything they do. Another player who is off to a good start for LA is SG Lou Williams. He’s averaging 16.4 ppg with 45% FG and 36% 3FG. Jordan is doing his usual job of dominating the glass to the tune of 14 rpg, but to go along with that, he only has an average of 10 points and 1 block per game.

 

Key Team Stats:

 

One Positive for the Hornets: 37.2% 3FG Defense

 

The Hornets are middle of the league in 3-point shooting, but this matchup might give them a chance to get some open looks from the 3-point line. The Clippers are in the bottom 10 in the league at defending the 3, and allow their opponents to shoot 37.2% 3FG.

 

One Negative for the Hornets: 45.9 RPG

 

The Clippers are one of the best teams in the league at dominating the glass and this matchup could be huge. They currently are 7th in the league with an average of nearly 46 rpg. This will be one of the battles to watch if the Hornets hope to be successful in this matchup.

 

Matchup to Watch:

Image result for lou williams v. hornets

(Image from Swarm and Sting)

Bench Units. One of the most important matchups in this game is the way that the Hornets bench unit will perform against the Clippers second guys. The Clippers bench is lacking in scoring options behind Lou Williams, so the Hornets need to take advantage of this lack of punch and use the time that Kemba and DH12 and others are on the bench, to extend the lead.

 

Final Thoughts:

 

This is another one of those indicator games for the Hornets this season. The type of games that they have to find a way to beat teams that are on about the same level as them if they want to make the playoffs. With both teams coming off a back to back, except a slightly sloppy game where the benches play a bigger role than usual.

 

 

Predictions for the Week:

 

My predictions last week were not great. I correctly predicted the loss against the Celtics but missed the game against the Knicks. If the Hornets could close out a game, they would’ve gotten both wins this week, but obviously they didn’t so hopefully this week will help them move on and get somemore wins.

 

W v. Cavs: Taking a risk here, but I believe that the excitement surrounding this game will help the Hornets pick up a big win.

 

W @ Bulls: Chicago is arguably the worst team in the league and the Hornets will win this one.

 

L v. Clippers: I think Blake Griffin and the Clippers will take this one in Charlotte to end the week 2-1.

 

A bounce back week for the Hornets that ends 2-1. Have a great week everyone!