Hmm…bright spots from last night’s game… Well, Noah Vonleh got some playing time, and in that time he netted 6 points, 2 rebounds, a foul and a technical. Another bright spot? Gerald Henderson fans will be happy to know that he was the top scorer last night with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. What would be nice if there were some other players that stepped up…there wasn’t. Kemba and Pargo had 11 points each. Al had 6 points and 5 rebounds, Williams had 8 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist, Stephenson had 6 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Basically, the Hornets were outmatched on every facet of their game last night.
The Hornets allowed 50% shooting to our weak 40%. We shot 46% from the foul line. We were out-rebounded 50-35, out-assisted 32 – 22, and really, just as the title states, just beat down.
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I have really, REALLY tried to remain positive about these guys. I’ve defended them, thrown up every excuse that I can, and honestly, we became a 1-trick pony that everyone was eventually going to figure out. In the playoffs, once Al went down, it was apparent that we didn’t have any scoring options past Kemba and it needed to be fixed this season. Now we are looking at a struggling Al Jefferson, Kemba is struggling, the shooting guard we brought in isn’t a volume scorer, and the bench isn’t much better. Our bright spots include that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist now has a jump shot, and has looked to be the brightest spot this season. Too bad he has a stress reaction in his foot and has missed the last couple games…and will miss more. Cody Zeller has looked really good and, in my opinion, should be the starting PF for this team.
Did I really expect a win last night? Honestly, as much as I wanted one, I didn’t expect one. With MKG out, Gary Neal out, Kemba with a sore back, Williams with a sore knee/Achilles, and PJ Hairston spraining his ankle during the game, who would have ever thought that we were going to be thin at the wing position. This team is dead in the water right now, and only rest will heal some of the injuries. Due to the boneheadedness of Jeffery Taylor, who knows when he, another wing, will be allowed by the NBA to return to the team? We’re in a bad place right now.
In MY opinion, we made some bad decisions in signing Marvin Williams and Brian Roberts. Again, this is MY opinion. My mind set is to have a backup that is similar to the starter, but have some slightly different attributes. In the point guard position, I would have liked to have a taller PG that could have brought something different to the court. Don’t ask me who, because I don’t remember who all was available, but having 3 point guards that aren’t more than 6’1″ is a problem for me. The worst part is that Roberts hasn’t been anywhere close to what I expected. I would have rather signed Shaun Livingston, tried to get Austin Rivers, or something like that. We have Brian, and I accept him, but he just hasn’t shown me anything yet. The season’s young, so he still has time. I was not a fan of signing Marvin Williams to be our power forward. I had no problem with it if Cody was ready to start and Marvin was going to be the backup, but that hasn’t been the case. For me, Cody looks ready to start and Marvin looks like it was a bad idea. Ryan Anderson would have been nice. There are other options that would have been acceptable, but right now, I feel we’re thin at PF, unless Vonleh starts getting more playing time and his ability grows exponentially as he spends time on the floor. Maxiell is a waste of space for me at this point. Biz will improve with playing time. Believe that. You heard it here first…repeatedly…
So Charlotte has today off, but they have traveled to Indiana to face the Pacers on Wednesday. It would be great for the guys to get a win. Games like last night, regardless of who they are playing or the circumstances, are the ones that fans start getting upset. Upset fans start screaming for trades, for firing the coach; you know, crazy stuff. Keep in mind, Hendo did a good job as a backup last night. The question to be asked is whether to try to continue showcasing his talent so he can be moved for a piece we need, or to have a solid backup on the bench. Having Stephenson, Henderson, Hairston, Gilchrist, and Taylor as SG/SFs, you have to start wondering how many wings are too many, and should we be concerned with Al’s lackluster performances. It’s early still, but my patience is wearing thin.
Regardless of the situation though…
Let’s Go Hornets!
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