105-100
Let that sink in Hornets fans. Had I written this last night, it would be filled with a ton of expletives, followed by screaming to have every player and coach’s head on a spike. I’ve calmed down now. Sitting on Twitter while watching the game may be bad for my health. I know it makes me be an unhappy fan, and the biggest result is that I start feeding off of the negativity of the fans towards the current struggle the Hornets are facing.
It’s really easy to buy into it. Awkward rotations, not sticking with the starters long enough or giving them too much rest; plenty of things are there to get angry at.
I’m going to be honest with you. Things are going to get better. I’ve been a Bobcats fan since the inception of the team. I sat through the first playoffs season. I sat through the 7-win season (Heck, I had season tickets that year, and I’m still waiting to be given a free season for supporting the team through that mess).
I’m going to keep being honest. I just got home from my son’s winter baseball camp. I’ve been rocking one of my Bobcats tee shirts and hats all day. You may be asking, “Why wear that garbage when the bugs are back?” I’ll tell you why. I love my NBA team in Charlotte, no matter what they’re called. I know enough about my team that I know that it took until January last year before the team started to mesh and we saw some really good basketball that led us to the playoffs. I’ll explain further that I saw some really bad basketball in the lockout-shortened season. I have a decent grasp on the team and what they can and cannot do. The one thing I believe is that it is harder to make a bunch of good pieces to fit together than it is to have a couple pieces that are good, and then everyone else. Last season was Kemba, Al, and McRoberts. Everyone else was just there. This year, there’s Al, Kemba, Lance, and he emergence of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller. The bench is stronger too with Gary Neal coming into his role even better than last season and Bismack Biyombo finally turning the corner. The pieces will mesh, but they each have to get used to each other and trust each other. It will happen, but it may not happen until January. That’s the reality.
Honesty is being able to say that last year, Kemba and Al were the team and McRoberts was the facilitator/catalyst. Henderson would have made a really good guy off of the bench, and MKG, Taylor, Zeller, and Biz were all still learning. Flash forward a year and MKG is the energy guy that pushes the team to hustle. Over the summer he found his jumper, thanks to Coach Mark Price. The result is that he is going to be a serious threat in this league. Cody Zeller did not regress over the off-season. He has actually gotten stronger, and has even said that the game has slowed down for him. The game slowing down means that he can see plays on the court unfolding before they happen. The result is that his basketball IQ is growing at the pro level. I’ll say it again, because it is true: he’s ready to be a starter in the NBA. Biz is in year 2 of having the same coach. Possibly the most raw player on the team over the past 4 years, he has worked as hard as anyone, adding strength and skill every year he has been here. Watching him play now, it is obvious that the game is finally starting to click in his head. He is gaining patience on defense and not biting on the first head fake thrown his way. On offense, he’s not forcing what is available to him. He keeps it simple and is drawing fouls. He’s hitting foul shots too. The result is that he is turning a corner. It may not be fast enough for some fans, but Biz is my guy and I believe in him. Big things will come from him. Just keep being patient. Jeff Taylor, after his Achilles injury, was my biggest hope in the off-season. He’s added crazy amounts of muscle to his already strong frame. I believed that he would have surpassed Hendo, had the injury not occurred last season. Now, with his domestic violence issues, we aren’t going to get to see him on the court for 11 more games. I fully believe that he will be an option off of the bench before Hendo, but he will have to shake off a ton of rust before he hits his stride. He’s one of the most promising talents on a 2nd round contract. That means tons of upside for very low $$$. I pray the organization is patient with him and sticks with him once he returns. We are heavy at the wing spot, but I would prefer having him to having Hendo. Again, Taylor is another of “my guys” that I believe in and am willing to have patience with.
Maybe I’m rambling, but I just want to get these thoughts out there. We added Lance Stephenson, who everyone thought would be a night and day difference from Henderson. He is, but he isn’t. Everyone was thinking he would come in and average more points than Hendo. That was never going to be the case. Lance is a guy who brings swagger and a complete skill set that Hendo never really had. Lance really gets after the ball, sees the floor well, and makes lots of plays. I don’t think we’ll ever see Lance scoring in the 20s, but I believe we’ll see triple-doubles in the near future. He’s an excellent rebounder among shooting guards, as well as distributor. We needed that with the loss of McRoberts.
So what’s the problem? Well, no one can stop Al. Al’s going to have off nights, as will any player in the NBA, but ultimately, he’s one of the best centers in the league and is going to give you an all-star performance most of the time. Last night he had 24 points and 11 rebounds. If there’s a way to score in the paint, Al’s going to find it. As a team, we have to have the second option. Kemba has been that 2nd option for a while, and that’s OK, but he’s the point guard, so he should be looking to get others involved. Kemba was 2 assists away from a triple-double last night. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds (setting a new career high), and 8 assists. The other starters were as follows:
Lance Stephenson – 12 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals
Gerald Henderson – 11 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound
Marvin Williams – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Those aren’t bad when the bench produces. Oh, you want to know about that bench production?
Gary Neal – 17 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist (28 minutes)
Cody Zeller – 3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists (14 minutes)
Jason Maxiell – 1 rebound (3 minutes)
Brian Roberts – 6 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal (13 minutes)
Bismack Biyombo – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 6 blocks (12 minutes)
I will honestly say that if you look at this game on paper, there’s really no way we lose. We out-rebounded them Magic 45-43 and out-assisted them 22-12. When you get out the microscope and really dig in there, you see where the Magic were at the foul line 32 times. They hit 23 of those shots. We only got to the line 15 times. Either we weren’t attacking the basket enough or the referees turned their heads on every drive. Seriously though, with the injury to MKG and Hairston, perhaps we’re just being cautious so that we don’t lose anyone else. Whatever the case was, in our 15 trips, we only made 9 shots. That stat alone has Orlando out-scoring us by 14 points.
I will say that I am most proud of Bismack Biyombo last night. I’m a defense guy, and I love his 6 blocks last night. Yes, I said it…6 blocks! I mentioned your stat line above, and it was a really good one to have only played 12 minutes. Keep it up young man. I’m so happy to see you doing your thing.
No more boring stats guys. We need to get our stellar defense from last season back, and we need to have offensive games like last night. Everyone contributed in some sort of way, and we must have that night in and night out. Have patience Hornets fans. I know you don’t like it, but all we can have is patience.
Keep the cheers loud and proud:
Let’s Go Hornets!!!
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