Charlotte Hornets

Hornets-Jazz pregame report


The Charlotte Hornets made a max offer to Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward last summer, but the Utah Jazz exercised its right to match.
The Charlotte Hornets made a max offer to Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward last summer, but the Utah Jazz exercised its right to match. AP

Hornets at Jazz

9 p.m., EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City

TV: SportSouth. Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.

Projected Starters

Hornets

Jazz

Pos, Player

PPG

RPG

Pos, Player

PPG

RPG

G Mo Williams

14.2

2.4

G T. Burke

12.5

2.6

G G. Henderson

11.6

3.3

G D. Exum

4.8

1.7

F M. Kidd-Gilchrist

11.0

7.6

F G. Hayward

19.6

4.9

F Ma. Williams

7.1

4.5

F D. Favors

16.4

8.2

C B. Biyombo

4.6

6

C R. Gobert

7.5

8.6

Matchup to Watch

Gordon Hayward vs. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: The Hornets offered Hayward a maximum-salary contract that the Jazz matched last July. Kidd-Gilchrist has become one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders.

Observations

▪ The Jazz won nine of its first 11 games since the All-Star break. Former Duke point guard Quin Snyder has done well as a first-time NBA head coach.

▪ The Jazz made a significant trade at the deadline, moving center Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kanter was unhappy in Utah and asked for a trade.

Tap-ins

▪ The Hornets hope to get back Al Jefferson (right knee sprain) and/or Cody Zeller (sprained right shoulder) as soon as this game.

▪ This is the first of a five-game trip for the Hornets while the NCAA tournament is staged at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Did you know?

The Jazz has been a tremendous rebounding team of late, beating opponents on the boards in 10 consecutive games.

Rick Bonnell

This story was originally published March 15, 2015 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Hornets-Jazz pregame report."

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