3 wins in a row can be defined as a win streak. Last night’s blowout victory gave the Charlotte Hornets the chance to say that they are currently on a win streak. It just feels good to say win streak. We’ve had our fair share of losing streaks, so I’m going to say it one more time; win streak.
- Now that I have that out of my system, let me discuss the game a little bit. So many good things happened in the game last night that I need to share of MY observations.
First and foremost, the starters were able to get some rest. This is of the utmost importance considering that we have game 2 of a home-away- back-to-back. How much rest did the starters get? They didn’t have to play at all in the 4th, with the exception of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is like the Energizer bunny (he keeps going and going and going).
How did our team do? Well, they did what they needed to on the court. They shot 53.8% from the floor and held the Nuggets to a mere 37.8%. We were also lucky that the Nuggets couldn’t hit 3-pointers as they were 2-18 from the floor. We were 8-19. We need to be wary of the number of 3-pointers that were shot and perhaps work on limiting them more. It was a wire-to-wire victory, and we outscored the Nuggets in every quarter. We out-performed the Nuggets in every category last night. I’m hoping that the Sixers and Jazz was a springboard for better basketball moving forward. The most important facet of the game last night was the team chemistry. It looks to be returning to the team. Chemistry means so much, and when it is good, so is the team. I think Lance Stephenson needed to see our Hornets play the way they have played in the last 3 games. We’re the real deal, and he needs to learn how to make himself fit in. This team could be crazy good if they figure out how to best utilize Lance on this team. Lance has to want to fit in for this to work. Time for a little soul searching and deciding what parts of his skill sets fit this team best. That message is for Lance AND the coaching staff…and MJ & Cho a little bit.
If Al needed anything off of a mild groin strain, it was some rest. He put in 26 minutes last night, scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and 2 assists. He was also efficient in his scoring, which has been a complaint of mine this season. He was 10-13 from the floor, which is exactly what I need from my center. Kemba did his thing as well. He was 5-12 from the floor, scoring 18 points and dished 9 assists with only 1 turnover. Very nice numbers from our point guard. Cody Zeller hit double figures, scoring 10 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks in only 18 minutes of play. Gary Neal scored 13, PJ Hairston added 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal, and everyone that played last night scored at least 1 basket, with the exception of Jeffery Taylor, who didn’t really touch the basketball all that much in his time on the court. Taylor looks really rusty. His jumping ability looks to be back 100%, but he’s going to need some time to get used to the speed of the game…again. I hope we can continue on our winning ways so that he can continue to get playing time, knock that rust off, and continue to grow as an NBA player.
Tonight we head up to Milwaukee tonight to face the Bucks, who have a 14-14 record. This is one of those games that we need to win. It’s an Eastern Conference team with a record better than ours. That’s all that needs to be said. The team I’ve seen play for the last 2 games, is the team that I expected to be on the court this year. My only concern is where Lance Stephenson fits into the puzzle. Everyone screams to trade him, to which I start to ponder what we would want in return. Grabbing a PF when we already have Zeller, Williams, Vonleh, and Maxiell doesn’t seem to be a great idea. Grabbing a wing when we have Hendo, Neal, MKG, Hairston, and Taylor doesn’t seem to be a good idea. The point guard crew of Kemba, Roberts, and Pargo seem OK, though Pargo is here more for leadership than court-time. That leaves the C position with Al and Biz. Al and Biz are the yin and yang at the C position. Al brings the offense and very little defense, while Biz brings protection in the paint and rebounds. If we could move Lance for nothing more than picks and cash considerations, I’d do it, but the reality is that I believe that after he is back 100% healthy, if he sees more games like last night’s, he’ll start fitting in well. Lance doesn’t like to lose and it shows. He just needs to see what works without him and figure out what he can do to help. If he can’t help, we don’t need him.
It’s time to keep the win streak going (I said win streak again)…
Let’s Go Hornets!
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