I wanted to believe that the Hornets would snap the Golden State Warriors’ 19-0 start to the season, but unfortunately, from the start, the deck was stacked against us. With the announcement that Al Jefferson would be missing 2-3 weeks due to a calf strain, it would mean that yet another Hornets staple would not be on the court to try and derail the Warriors. While the Hornets have looked better at times without Al on the floor, it would have been nice to have had him. When Al is on the floor, he is a dangerous player in the paint. His post ups free up wings to shoot, and with a smaller Warriors team, would have allowed for him to have one of his 18+ point nights, which we could have really used. Instead, Cody Zeller got the start at C, as well as PJ Hairston at shooting guard. I like Cody, but facing a team like Golden State, sticking him in at a spot he has never started at in the NBA level seemed like a cruel move. Perhaps Spencer Hawes would have been the better move. The end result of the game was a 116-99 victory for Golden State, and Steph Curry with 40 points in only 3 quarters worth of work (28 of those points came in the 3rd quarter).
Keys to the loss need to be shared. Everyone clamored as to why Kemba played so many minutes when he was 2-16 from the floor with 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. My personal opinion is that without Al, Coach Clifford wanted to lean heavily on his healthy team captain with the hope that he could shoot his way out of his funk, which you cannot do against a team like the Warriors. Those same fans were begging to get Jeremy Lin more playing time. His 5 points (1-2 from the 3-point line and 2-4 from the foul line), 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block would suggest giving him a chance, but to go from questionable due to an ankle sprain to 13 minutes of playing time, my guess would be that Coach Clifford needs Lin to be 100% as they go on the road. Also, I don’t know what could have been done to slow the Warriors down. They needed to be able to at least trade baskets and keep up with the scoring that Golden State can produce, but when the Hornets were shooting 37.2% to Golden State’s 52.3%, like I said, the cards were stacked against us. Though we were the bigger team, we were even out-rebounded, 53-41.
Were there positives to take from the game? Of course there were. Frank Kaminsky got 27 minutes of playing time in which he gained very valuable experience on the floor. He generated 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 block on the night. Jeremy Lamb had 13 points and 4 rebounds, and Spencer Hawes had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Everyone on the team played. Everyone on the team scored, except for PJ Hairston (another reason he shouldn’t start). We got to the foul line 30 times and we only turned the ball over 8 times.
Those numbers may beat some teams in the NBA, but not these Warriors, who will be making history and breaking records this season. All in all, it isn’t anything that we should hang our heads about. I think we did a bit of spectating during the game, and I have to admit, watching Steph Curry play; it would be hard to not be in awe of him.
Dell Curry Night was great, though the Hornets lost. Dell was the first player taken in the expansion draft in 1988. He IS the original Charlotte Hornet. Now, 28 years later, he is still a vital part of this organization, and one of the most loved Hornets of all time. He’s the all-time leading scorer for the Hornets, made the most 3-pointers of any Hornet ever, most field goals made, and most years with the franchise. He’s listed as 11 years as a player, but adding his time now to that tally, No one will ever pass him. No one player will ever mean as much to the Hornets and the city of Charlotte as Dell Curry. He was always my favorite Hornet, and he will always have my respect and admiration for what he has accomplished as a player, an ambassador for the team, and as a father. Just ask his family and they’ll tell you just how special Dell is.
As for our Hornets, we just need to flush this game and focus on Chicago on Friday.
Regroup. Focus. Beat the Bulls!
Let’s Go Hornets!
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