The Charlotte Hornets took a big step forward a year ago, as they played gritty defense and put Al Jefferson to work down low en route to a return trip to the playoffs.

Things haven’t gone quite as planned so far in the 2014-15 season, but once at full strength, this Charlotte gang looks to be balanced enough to make it back to the playoffs for the second year in a row.

So far, the absence of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist due to injury has caused their perimeter defense to suffer, while their offense has been among the slowest in the league. In order to turn things around, they’ll have to work on shot selection and overall offensive efficiency, while also staying aggressive on the defensive end.

To see how they’ll begin to do that, let’s break down their cheapest and most expensive games on the Hornets schedule for the month of December:
Cheapest – @ Memphis Grizzlies (12/12/14) | Avg: $56.46 | Get-in: $5

Memphis hosts the Hornets in mid-December for what should be an intense defensive battle. Charlotte has been the poor man’s version of the Grizz, as they try to suffocate opponents with their defense and rely on slow, methodical pace on offense.

Charlotte will need MKG back to really compete in this one, as Memphis has quickly morphed into the best team in the league and is borderline unbeatable on their home floor. It’s a challenge for the Hornets offensively, too, as Memphis plays elite defense and the Hornets just haven’t been clicking on offense yet. Look for Al Jefferson to be leaned on heavily down low as the Hornets try to keep the pace slow in a likely gritty affair.
Most Expensive – @ Cleveland Cavaliers (12/15/14) | Avg: $195.98 | Get-in: $30

The Cleveland Cavaliers usually raise the price of any team’s tickets, but Hornets tickets can still be found at a nice price here, with the average barely climbing up over $195. That’s surprising considering how much star power the Cavs carry, while Cavaliers tickets from Scorebig in general usually hover around $322.

While the price is slightly more than Hornets fans are used to, this game figures to return terrific value thanks to the presence of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The star power is probably enough reason to take this one in live, but the fact that the Hornets could win is a pretty good reason, too.

Cleveland is still trying to figure itself out, so anytime you can face them early in that process, it should give you a good chance of squeaking out a win. Charlotte will still have to execute on offense, however, as the Cavs don’t play great defense but still boast one of the more prolific offenses in the league.
offenses in the league.

HORNETS WEEKLY: WEST COAST TRIP EDITION

Written by David W. Walters

LAST WEEKS ACTION…

The Charlotte Hornets (4-6) week long road trip was definitely a bumpy one, as they went 1-3 on a four game west coast slate last week.  The trip could have easily ended up 2-2 or 3-1, but some horrible second half play caused the Hornets to let two 20+ point leads slip away.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

The Hornets started their west coast trip last Sunday night when they visited a winless Laker team at the Staples Center.  The Hornets started out strong, building a sizeable lead while the Lakers laid enough bricks the build another Staples Center.  Los Angeles battled back in the second quarter but some key plays down the first half stretch helped the Hornets go into the locker room with a 51-42 lead.

Both teams reversed roles in the second half, as the Hornets came out and played lackadaisical basketball, looking lost as the Lakers put together their best half of the season and blew the doors off a reeling Charlotte team.  Los Angeles’ hot shooting was too much for Charlotte to keep up with and the Hornets once again lost a game by failing to close.  Hornets lose, 92-107.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Two nights later, the nightmare scenario repeated itself in Portland.  The Hornets jumped out to a lead behind the strong play of its backcourt; Lance Stephenson started off hot and scored nine points in the first quarter, Kemba Walker had seven points and P.J. Hairston had six points in the period.  Charlotte was up, 35-21, at the end of the first quarter; the Hornets shot 64% from the field and went 3-3 from long range.

The Hornets stayed hot going into the second quarter as the reserves quickly pushed the lead to 19.  Portland made a run at the end of the quarter to chip away at the lead, but the Hornets still took a 64-51 lead into the locker room after playing what was easily their best half of the season.

The Blazers came out of the locker room and played stifling defense against the Hornets, who looked lost on offense after turning in their strongest offensive performance of the year in the first half.  Portland made runs and came up with plays when they needed them most, a stark contrast to the Hornets, who lost another game within their grasp, 100-102.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Next up was a Friday night matchup against a tough Phoenix Suns team that played an up-tempo pace that was sure to challenge the Hornets defense.  Charlotte started the game off slow, but they picked up the pace in the second quarter, playing better defense and scoring 33 points en route to a 47-47 halftime score.

The Hornets carried their strong play into the second half, keeping pace with Phoenix in the third quarter behind strong play from Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo, who was saw his first action of the season.  Biyombo played very well against the Suns, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Walker finished with 19 points, with 12 of them coming in the second half.  The Hornets got their first road victory of the years, beating the Suns, 103-95.

“I thought our defense was pretty good throughout the whole game, even the first quarter,” Jefferson said. “When you play against a team like Phoenix or Portland, you know they’re going to go on an 8-0 or 10-0 run at any given time. We had to keep them moving because they have a lot of energy.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

The last stop on the Hornets’ west coast trip was a visit to Oakland to face off against a red-hot Warriors team.  Charlotte tried to keep up the pace in this one, but it was a futile effort, particularly in the second quarter when Golden State blew the doors off the Hornets, knocking down six three-pointers to put them up by 21 points at the end of the first half.

The Warriors cooled off just a bit in the second half but were still too much for the Hornets to contain.  Not much went right for Charlotte in this matchup, the only side note being that rookie Noah Vonleh made his debut, taking and missing his only shot in six minutes of action.

WHAT TO MAKE OF THE ROAD TRIP…

Not many positives come out of this road trip; as I said in my season preview it will take some time for this team to gel together as a third of the roster is new and injuries limited the Hornets ability to build cohesion during the preseason.  We’ve seen glimpses of inspired play from Charlotte so far this season, but we’ve also seen the team look completely lost on both sides of the ball in a sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde way that frustrates everyone involved.

While Lance Stephenson has struggled to establish himself as a scorer for the Hornets, he does lead the team in rebounds and he has contributed defensively.  He started off so hot in the Portland game, but then disappeared in the second half as the Hornets struggled to score.  Stephenson was vocal this past week about his desire to be more involved down the stretch, and hopefully he will be as this week moves along.

We saw the first game action from Bismack Biyombo, and it was pretty impressive.  Biyombo had languished on the Hornets bench all season, but was ready when his number was called.  This is a contract year for Biz, and it looks like he intends to make the most of his opportunities this season; an encouraging sign for Charlotte, as they have been leaning heavily on undersized Jason Maxiell as their backup center this year.

Cody Zeller has really improved his game this year, showing off the athleticism that made him Charlotte’s top pick last year.  He has been a big contributor to the Hornets’ success with his energy off the bench.  He has been more active on the boards this season and it finally seems that he has figured out a way to stay out of constant foul trouble, a problem that plagued him during his rookie campaign.

Rookie P.J. Hairston worked his way into the rotation with his defense and ability to stretch the floor with his shooting, he even earned his first start in the Warriors game.  While his scoring has cooled off a bit, it seems that Clifford is comfortable with Hairston on the floor.

We got our first look at our other rookie, Noah Vonleh, albeit an unimpressive one.  Vonleh has seen the court twice this year for the Hornets as he recovers from a sports hernia, once in the preseason and his regular season debut against the Warriors.  While we still don’t really have an idea of how he measures up against the competition, it is encouraging to see him working his way into the rotation, hopefully we’ll see more in the coming week.

With a logjam at the wing position, veteran guard Gerald Henderson has found himself as the odd man out.  He is averaging 3.3 points per game this season and only managed five points in a season high 28 minutes against Golden State.  It remains to be seen what Hendo’s future with the team will look like and, in his defense, he is coming off an injured hamstring, but the early returns haven’t been promising and other players have stepped up into the role originally meant for him.

 

MOVING FORWARD…

The Hornets look to get back on track this week and their upcoming schedule looks a lot easier than last weeks brutal list of opponents.  It all starts tonight, as the Hornets return to the Hive to face off against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.  Dallas has been great offensively this season, topping the league in scoring with 109.5 points per game, with Nowitzki leading the way at 20.3 points per outing.

On Wednesday, the Hornets travel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to face Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers.  Conversely, the Pacers have been horrendous on offense, ranked 27^th in the league in scoring, but their rebounding and defense remain their calling card, as they are second in rebounding and fourth in scoring defense.  Expect this one to be a low scoring, grind-it-out affair.

The Hornets return to the Hive on Friday night for a southeast divisional game against the Orlando Magic.  The Magic are young, but they feature a very athletic team, with Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo and Evan Fournier.  While those names may not ring a bell, they are all talented players capable of giving the Hornets defense fits.

The Hornets finish up on Sunday when they face the Miami Heat for the second time this season; they won the first matchup at the Hive, 96-89.  The Heat started the season off strong but have lost a few games as of late.  Chris Bosh has had a good start to the season, but has slumped lately, and Dwyane Wade has missed his last two games and is considered day-to-day this week.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has missed the last two games with a stress reaction in his right foot, he will be re-evaluated later this week; Hairston will get his second start of the season in his place.  Gary Neal sustained a concussion in the game against the Warriors and will be out until he passes concussion protocol.  Walker is listed as probable with back soreness and Marvin Williams is battling tendinitis in his left knee.

The Hornets have an excellent opportunity to rebound from last weeks rough stretch and hopefully they can emerge somewhat healthy with a record above .500 after Sunday.

That’s all for now Hornets fans, until next time, KEEP BUZZING!

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

HORNETS LET ONE SLIP AWAY IN L.A.

Written by David W. Walters

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

 

The Charlotte Hornets (3-4) dropped the first game of their west coast swing on Sunday night when the Los Angeles Lakers (1-5) caught fire in the second half and pulled away for a 107-92 victory.

 

The Hornets jumped all over the Lakers early, leading by as much as nine in the first quarter.  Al Jefferson went to work on the Lakers weak interior defense while seemingly every Lakers shot that went up drew nothing but iron and Charlotte ended the first period with a 25-18 lead.

 

The game became more competitive in the second quarter; the Lakers closed the gap but the Hornets benefitted from the Lakers sending help on Jefferson and used the drive and kick game to free up Marvin Williams in the corner for a few buckets.  Kemba Walker also contributed some scrappy buckets as the Hornets went into the locker room with a 51-42 lead behind 11 points a piece from Big Al, Walker and Williams.

 

The Lakers battled back in the third quarter and Carlos Boozer took over on four straight possessions to give Los Angeles their first lead of the night; and Jeremy Lin and Kobe Bryant both knocked down threes to cap off a 16-0 run.  The Hornets were outscored 34-13 in the third quarter and carried a 64-76 deficit into the final period.

 

The Hornets tried to battle back in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers couldn’t miss and Charlotte couldn’t keep up as the Lakers played easily their best game of the season to get their first win of the season.

 

Everything clicked on offense for the Lakers and they finished with a 28-15 advantage in assists.  The Hornets shot 44% from the field and the Lakers shot 51% for the game, but the big difference came in the second half, when the Lakers shot 64% and hit six three-pointers.

 

Jefferson led the way for Charlotte with 23 points and four rebounds and Walker finished with 17 points, three rebounds and four assists.  Williams couldn’t carry his hot hand into the second half and he finished with 11 points and five rebounds and Lance Stephenson finished with six points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

 

Gary Neal was the only meaningful contributor off the bench for the Hornets, scoring 14 points.  Gerald Henderson did play, but only three minutes of garbage time; he finished with two points.

 

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists and Jeremy Lin also chipped in 21 points and seven assists.  Boozer finished with 16 points and five rebounds and Ed Davis led the Lakers reserves with 10 points and five rebounds.

 

The Hornets play the second game of their west coast trip on Tuesday when they travel to Portland to face off against Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers.

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

HORNETS CLIP HAWKS IN 2OT THRILLER

Written by David W. Walters

 

Lance Stephenson jumps onto the scorers table after hitting the game winning three point shot. Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Hornets (3-3) gave the home crowd at the Hive another exciting show on Friday night, as they beat the Atlanta Hawks (1-3), 122-119, for their second win in a row.

The Hawks went on an 11-2 run to start the game, meaning the Hornets found themselves in a familiar position for them this season, playing from behind. The Hornets got a spark off the bench, but the Hawks moved the ball well in the first quarter, spreading the ball around and knocking down open jumpers en route to a 29-22 lead after one.

The Hornets opened the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run and, from that point on, the game became very competitive as both teams traded the lead back and forth and the Hornets went into the locker room with a 47-50 deficit.

The Hornets came out in the second half and played inspired basketball, jumping out to a lead on a 13-6 run to open the third quarter. Both teams cooled off during the last half of the third period and the Hornets were down 70-78 going into the fourth quarter.

There was some exciting basketball in the fourth quarter, particularly down the stretch, as the Hornets had to make a series of big shots and defensive stops to even the score at 97-97 with 9.9 seconds left on the clock. Paul Millsap missed a mid-range jumper over Marvin Williams as time expired in regulation, sending the game into overtime.

The drama continued into the overtime period with the Hornets opening up a six-point lead, but the Hawks fought their way back into the game. Atlanta’s Mike Scoot missed a three pointer from the left corner with time running out but Atlanta got another chance after ball was called out on Kemba Walker. Scott got the ball on the inbounds pass and hit from the right corner with about three seconds left in the game and Walker missed a last second attempt from just beyond the top of the key as time expired, sending the game into double overtime.

Walker had another opportunity to hit the game winning basket at the end of the second overtime period, but Jeff Teague had him locked up and he missed a floater and a second chance shot in the paint, and the Hornets got charged with a 24-second shot clock violation, giving the Hawks a chance to win it with 2.7 seconds left. An offensive foul before the inbounds pass gave the ball back to the Hornets with those same 2.7 seconds left, and Lance Stephenson hit his first three pointer of the year from 33-feet to give the Hornets a 122-119 victory!!!

Overall, looking at the numbers, you’d think that Charlotte ran away with this game; the Hornets led 51-38 in rebounding, 22-11 on second chance points and 58-38 on points in the paint. Numbers that skewed typically would lead to a win, but it was scrappy defense combined with Atlanta’s ball movement and 13-33 shooting from long range that helped keep them in this one.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Stephenson played more aggressively in this matchup getting to the basket, moving well without the ball and even walking away from a confrontation with the Hawks Paul Millsap in the second quarter. The Hornets’ leading rebounder cleaned the glass again in this one, finishing with 13 boards to go with 17 points and four assists.

Al Jefferson continued to put on a clinic on the low block with his old school post moves and he finished with a season high 34 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Walker finished just short of a triple-double with 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, including some big plays that helped keep Charlotte in the game late.

 

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Gary Neal provided another steady dose of offense for the Hornets, scoring 23 points off the bench and shooting an efficient 6-11 from the field while knocking down 8-9 free throws.

Cody Zeller had a fantastic game with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks, but it was his energy and hustle that really stood out in this game. More importantly, Zeller made the plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet as he was ubiquitous for the Hornets, making big plays down the stretch when Charlotte needed them.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned for his first action since suffering a rib contusion last week against New York; he played strong defense and finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

Gerald Henderson did not play in the game for the Hornets; coach Clifford basically attributed it to a glut at the wing position. He has to play Kemba, Lance and Gary Neal, but apparently he really likes what he’s seen from P.J. Hairston and stated that he wants to get the rookie in the game more often. He complimented Hendo on his professionalism in the situation and said he wasn’t sure how this rotation would pan out in the long run, just that he wants to get Hairston more minutes.

The Hawks played efficiently on the offensive side of the ball, with a motion offense predicated on drive and kicks led to open shots, particularly from the corners. Jeff Teague had a great night for Atlanta, scoring 22 points to go with 15 assists and Al Horford led the Hawks in scoring with 24 points. All five starters were in double figures for the Hawks as they got very little production off their bench.

The Hornets are set to go on a week long west coast swing starting Sunday night at the Staples Center as they face off against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers

 

 

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

Written by David W. Walters

The Charlotte Hornets (2-3) found themselves in another tight game down the stretch at home against the Miami Heat (3-2), but were able to pull out the 96-89 victory to snap a three game slide.

The Hornets had a 46-44 lead going into the half but jumped out to a sizeable lead in the third quarter behind almost let this one get away as they went cold at the end of the fourth quarter, the Heat were able to get their deficit down to three, but then Kemba Walker knocked down a big three and Charlotte was able to close the game out.

The Hornets have been behind by as much as 14 points in each of their previous four games, but the largest lead they allowed the Heat to get in this one was a two point edge. Charlotte showed a huge improvement on the defensive side of the ball, different from the unorganized team we had seen in the previous three games. Miami had shot well from long range this season so far, but the Hornets were able to chase them off the line and force the Heat to shoot a paltry 4-22 from outside.

Charlotte also dominated the glass as a team, 49-36, with 13 of those boards coming on the offensive side, allowing the Hornets to convert some easy second chance points as they led that category 20-7. Overall, the Hornets looked more focused on both ends of the ball tonight as players are beginning to gel with each other; hopefully Charlotte can get some continuity going as they are preparing to go on a week long west coast swing after their home game against the Hawks on Friday.

Al Jefferson was dominant in the paint against the Heat, finishing with a game high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Walker found his shot again, as he contributed 18 points on 5-6 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

Lance Stephenson played a season high 36 minutes and looked as comfortable as he has been all season on his way to a terrific all-around game with eight points, a team high 13 rebounds and four assists. He also drew the assignment on Chris Bosh most of the night and did an admirable job on the all-star forward.

Cody Zeller has seemingly improved in each game this season and continued that trend chipping in 13 points and eight rebounds, although his five fouls in 17 minutes held back what could have been his best night as a pro.

Rookie P.J. Hairston played well in his second game of the regular season, scoring seven points and coming up big on the defensive end with three big blocks. An interesting statistic shows that the Hornets were +23 with Hairston on the floor, meaning that Charlotte was very effective while he was on the floor.

After the game, Jefferson said, “we finally did what we were supposed to do…when we finally do what we’re supposed to do, we get stops.”

The Heat were carried by the usual suspects in this one, with Bosh and Dwyane Wade leading the way. Bosh continued his hot start to the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds while Wade contributed a team high 25 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.

Charlotte’s win tonight snaps a 16-game losing streak against Miami, with their last win versus the Heat coming on March 9th, 2010 in Charlotte (83-78).

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed his second straight game for the Hornets as he recovers from a rib contusion suffered in New York; Gerald Henderson started in his place.

The Hornets are back on the honeycomb hardwood on Friday night when they face off against another division foe, the Atlanta Hawks.

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

The Charlotte Hornets (1-2) put forth a strong effort in the Big Apple but it wasn’t enough as they fell, 93-96, to the New York Knicks (2-1) on Sunday night.

The Knicks came out hot in the first quarter, leading by as much as 10 points en route to a 29-21 lead over the Hornets after one quarter of action.  In the second quarter, Al Jefferson came alive and Gary Neal sparked the offense off the bench and the Hornets went on a 20-7 run to go into the half with a 50-52 deficit.

The action continued into the third quarter and the teams frequently exchanged the lead on the way to a 80-79 Hornets lead entering the final period.  The Hornets had their chances in the fourth quarter as scrappy buckets by Neal and Walker put them up by three, but the Knicks struck back and Charlotte continually shot themselves in the foot, coughing up the ball six times in the fourth quarter alone.

A questionable five-second inbounds violation with 36.6 seconds left gave the Knicks the ball but Iman Shumpert missed a jumper, giving the Hornets possession with 16.6 seconds left and a two-point deficit.  Walker missed a short jumper in the lane in the closing seconds and Charlotte was forced to foul Anthony, who hit one of two free throws to give New York the win; Lance Stephenson missed a desperation catch and heave with 0.8 seconds left.

Jefferson led the Hornets in scoring with 21 points and Walker had 16 points and three rebounds.

Stephenson had his best game yet in a Hornets uniform, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

Neal was key in keeping the Hornets in the game offensively as he led the reserves with 17 points and three assists on 3-3 shooting from long range.  Reserve big man Cody Zeller contributed six points, five rebounds and three assists .

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game after a collision in the first half and was taken to an area hospital and was later diagnosed with a rib contusion; he had six points and three rebounds before the injury.

Anthony paced the Knicks with a game high 28 points and Shumpert had 15 points and four rebounds.  Amar’e Stoudemire had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hornets are back in action on Tuesday as they travel to New Orleans to face Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.

 

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

CHARLOTTE– Capping off an eventful week on the Charlotte sports scene, less than 24 hours removed from a thrilling Overtime comeback by the Hornets (no typo), the Panthers will host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.

 

Although both clubs have struggled through the first half of the season, the week 9 division game has first place in the NFC South on the line – a division that looks to be a two-horse race for a home playoff game. The Saints (3-4) are looking to pick up their first road victory of the season, while the Panthers (3-4-1) aim to get back to their early season success, when they started 2-0.

 

To end their 3-week winless skid, they’ll need consistency from unfamiliar faces on the offensive line, and to carry over their defensive success from last Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart on the field together for the first time since week 1, they’ll also need to capitalize on a New Orleans defense currently giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground.

 

 

Keys To Victory:

 

CONSISTENT POCKET: The Panthers will start 4 undrafted players on the offensive line tonight. A unit that entered the season under the microscope has since been decimated by injuries. Canadian rookie David Focault will lead a group of practice squad call-up’s responsible for protecting Cam Newton’s blind side. Anchored by 4-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kalil, the line (along with on-field backs and tight ends) need to be disciplined in their pass protection responsibilities to create a consistent pocket for Newton to work from. Protection has been better in some outings than others this season, but has yet to truly be consistent – As in: the pocket tends to look great on one play, and completely collapse the very next. Specifically, the offense struggled against the exotic blitz-package of the Steelers in week 3, a scheme which Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan likes to pull from. The Panthers should be able to run the ball on New Orleans, but if they can give Cam Newton time to work as well, Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen have the talent for big games against a suspect secondary.

 

 

STOP THE BIG PLAY: It’s obvious that the Carolina defense regressed after an impressive 2013 campaign — losing key contributors Greg Hardy, Mike Mitchell, and Captain Munnerlyn was a larger blow than anyone, myself included, predicted. But the box scores that reflect defensive performance have been somewhat misleading through 8 weeks. Carolina’s stats for Total Yards and Touchdowns given up – which are the two leading elements that help determine total defense ranking – have both been skewed considerably by it’s allowing of “explosive plays” (20 yards or more).

 

In 2014, the Panthers have allowed 8 touchdowns that came on explosive plays alone, the most in the league. Of the total yards they have allowed this season, over 1,000 have come on such plays. They rank “top” 4 in the NFL in several categories in that respect. While that may not sound very promising, any coach will agree that it is much more correctable than allowing opposing offenses to sustain long, methodical drives. There have been several plays of over fifty yards allowed that have affected the course of this young season: Giovani Bernard’s 89-yard TD run, Steve Smith’s (2) TD receptions, Aaron Rodgers’ 59-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson. All of those plays could have – and should have – been stopped with a proper pursuit angle, more disciplined coverage, or just better execution by one particular player.

 

Against a New Orleans team that thrives with the explosive play: the Panthers defense must remain disciplined, fulfill their individual responsibilities, and make Drew Brees beat them underneath on every throw. If they can build on their improved outing against Seattle last week, Brees has proven that he is not the same quarterback on the road this season and will turn the ball over.

 

 

GET OLSEN MORE INVOLVED: One of the few bright spots on the Carolina offense this season, tight end Greg Olsen is on pace for yet another career year. He has been the most consistent player, perhaps on either side of the ball thus far. His route-running ability, deceptive speed, and sure hands have brought him up to the elite tier of tight ends in the NFL – especially with injuries to Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. But being considered one of the best comes with more recognition from opposing defenses as well. Last week, the Seahawks made it a point to mark Newton’s number one option, bracketing him with coverage and rolling safeties to his side of the field. However, in a game where he was targeted a season-low 3 times, there were more opportunities to be had. Due to inconsistent line play and the strength of Seattle’s front seven, Newton failed to capitalize on throws that should’ve gone Olsen’s way. Against the Saints, look for Olsen to see more work – especially in the red zone – where Kelvin Benjamin let a touchdown reception slip through his hands last week. Getting the tight end more involved inside will only open up more opportunities for the rookie wideout to make plays outside the numbers.

 

 

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Must I elaborate? This is a key to victory for every team, in every game. It starts with pressuring the quarterback, which forces the ball out earlier – in effect not leaving your cornerbacks exposed for 6 seconds or longer. Against a speedy receiving core, that is a top priority. Josh Norman’s addition to the starting lineup made for an improved secondary last week, but New Orleans has too many weapons to cover on extended-routes. Get to Drew Brees, and allow the safeties to make plays on errant throws. In last season’s week 16 win against the Saints, Carolina sacked Brees 6 times and intercepted him twice. In their losing effort two weeks prior, they got to him only twice and had zero takeaways. Possessions are extremely valuable against New Orleans, who can score at any time.

 

 

 

The Game:

 

-Thursday, 8:25 p.m.

-Broadcast on NFL Network

-Panthers: Black Jerseys, Silver Pants

-Panthers have won 3 of last 4 against Saints.

 

As always – if you can’t catch the game, here is where you can find radio coverage throughout the Carolinas:

http://www.panthers.com/news/radio.html

 

 

Follow Austin on Twitter @Austallings for Breaking News, Injury Updates, and General Football-oriented Rants.

Written by David W. Walters

To say the atmosphere felt different would be an extreme understatement; the fans were all over downtown Charlotte, decked out in fresh, new Hornets gear as well as the old and faded, vintage threads.  The lines to get in the door were as long as they’ve ever been and the entire staff was dressed in tuxedos.  The fans inside were decked out in tuxedo t-shirts, a nod to the Hornets original opening night at the Charlotte Coliseum in 1988.  The atmosphere was electric.  It felt like history was about to happen and it felt different than anything Charlotte basketball had seen in a very long time.  To put it simply, it just felt right.

The Charlotte Hornets wasted absolutely no time endearing themselves to a raucous hometown crowd on Wednesday night, as they completed the biggest comeback in team history to come away with a 108-106 victory at the Hive.  The Hornets trailed by as much as 24 points in the third quarter, drawing boos from the sold out crowd before Lance Stephenson threw down a thunderous dunk that made the Hive explode and helped spark the lethargic Hornets offense.

Yesterday, Kemba Walker signed a four-year, $48 million extension.  Today, he showed fans why he was worthy of such a deal.  Walker started off slow, but showed exactly why the Hornets have put their faith in him as the teams point guard of the future.  He shot 9-26 from the field, but came up big when the team needed him most, hitting a three pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime, and then knocking down a clutch fadeaway to give Charlotte the win.  Walker finished with a game high 26 points to go with six rebounds and five assists.

The Bucks were quite effective using a double team on Al Jefferson most of the game, but the Hornets big man finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go with four (yes, four!) blocks as he fought through the defense in the second half.

Marvin Williams was solid for Charlotte the entire game, shooting 8-12 for 19 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.  He also went 3-6 from three-point range, including a clutch three pointer to help the Hornets keep the game close.

Stephenson struggled with his shot early but finished with seven points, a team-high 13 rebounds and eight assists as he showed off the all around game that brought him to Charlotte.  He struggled with leg cramps as the game wore on but it was clear that nothing was going to stop him from finishing the game, which helped him garner even more respect from the crowd.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a very solid game for the Hornets with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks.  MKG had only gotten better as the preseason wore on, and now it seems that he may finally be making a leap in taking his game to another level.  Granted, its only one regular season game, but it’s encouraging nonetheless.

Gerald Henderson saw his first game action, coming off a hamstring injury and showed understandable signs of rust.  Cody Zeller led the reserves for the Hornets with 11 points and Gary Neal struggled, shooting 2-11 from the field for six points, although at one point he hit a runner to help tie the game.

The Bucks got strong effort out of starting point guard Brandon Knight who led the Bucks with 22 points and 13 assists and forward Khris Middleton contributed 17 points and six rebounds.  Spark plug O.J. Mayo came off the bench to pour in 17 points and rookie Jabari Parker had eight points and four rebounds.

The Hornets are back in action on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.  The team will again raise the #13 jersey of former Hornet swingman Bobby Phills to the rafters in a retirement ceremony.

In closing, I guess you could say that this event was a raging success, beyond our wildest dreams even.  The night couldn’t have had any more drama; first the Hive was electric, then the energy got sucked out, then the team goes on the most amazing run in franchise history, and then the crowd erupts in ecstatic celebration that has been 12 years coming…. congratulations everybody, the Charlotte Hornets are home.

 

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.

 

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)