The Hornets were unrecognizable before the All-Star break. Are they back on track?
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets center Montrezl Harrell (8) plays against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)")
Mason Plumlee broke out a crossover that made the rounds on social media so rapidly it’s a shock he wasn’t trending on Twitter. PJ Washington kept flapping his arms to the point where it felt like he was guiding in a fleet of 777s over at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Montrezl Harrell flexed at the stands as if he were at Muscle Beach.
Something got into the Charlotte Hornets over the week leading into Friday night’s game against Toronto, the very same team that mashed them in this very same setting 18 days prior. They certainly looked nothing like the unrecognizable bunch that limped into the All-Star break having dropped nine of their past 10 games. Apparently re-energized and refocused, the Hornets were the ones doing the throttling this time around.
In securing a wire-to-wire 125-93 win over the Raptors at Spectrum Center, the Hornets didn’t just halt a miserable three-game losing streak. Pounding Toronto in convincing fashion left little doubt they still have enough to get it done against some of the teams they’re chasing in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
“We came in with a game plan and we carried it out to a ‘T,’” Harrell said. “I definitely think the All-Star break helped us out. Guys got their legs back under them. Miles (Bridges), I think he’s leading the NBA in minutes played. So, it was definitely a much-needed break for guys to get away, reset. And we came back focused, ready to get after it today and it showed.”
It’s crystal-clear the Hornets were trapped in a sticky malaise before they went their separate ways a little over a week ago.. They shot 29 percent beyond the 3-point arc in their final 10 games heading into the break, which probably made their 37.5 percent showing against the Raptors seem even better than it actually was.
The Hornets (30-31) were sharper, fresher and happier. This was the version that knocked off some of the league’s upper crust and crept within a game of sixth place in the conference before Gordon Hayward’s injury in their 116-101 loss to Toronto on Feb. 7.
“Just good for us to get a reset over the break, a couple of days,” Terry Rozier said. “I got my mind off basketball. I didn’t even touch a basketball because it’d make me miss it and I knew I would come back with the energy I had tonight. And I think it’s just good for us to move on. Not even worry about what happened before the break.”
With Hayward still out indefinitely and sitting on the bench in street clothes with his left foot in a walking boot, and Jalen McDaniels not quite close enough to returning, the Hornets proved they were well-equipped to pulverize the Raptors. They’re at their best and more dangerous when they aren’t simply relying on Bridges to score 30 points or LaMelo Ball to rescue them with a triple-double.
Depth is supposed to be a strength, but the number of games lost to injury due to players being caught up in health and safety protocols throughout the season took their toll on the Hornets over the last month. They were beaten down a bit and limped badly into their time off.
But seeing Cody Martin on the floor against Toronto following a six-game absence nursing a sore left Achilles was a boost and should alleviate some of those rotational ills. Having Martin available allowed coach James Borrego to go nine deep and he didn’t have to have to ride his guys too hard. Only three players logged more than 30 minutes of action and that definitely wasn’t the norm before the break.
Martin found himself incorporated into a hockey-style line change on a couple of occasions with Harrell and Kelly Oubre – an interesting mix of defense, energy and scoring.
In his short stint with the Hornets, Harrell has already become an extremely valuable piece. Acquiring Harrell just before the trade deadline provides Borrego with a different option to use around the paint, and the Tarboro, N.C. native is fitting in seamlessly. His fiery style gets a rise out of the crowd and Harrell had many of the 17,577 in attendance in a frenzy. He’s averaging 18.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in his five games with the Hornets.
“Yeah, he’s a hell of a ball player,” Terry Rozier said. “He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a talker. Always communicating, always making guys’ jobs easier. And I’m pretty sure the crowd loves him. They just feed into the way he plays and we all play off of that. We’re happy to have him.
“We all feel his presence. Since he came to this team, like I’ve been saying, the first game, his voice has played a part. His energy has played a part. So, I think we’re just really happy to have him and he’s going to be a key piece to this team.”
Harrell’s importance goes beyond his rim-hanging dunks and chest-beating, old-school three-point plays. Borrego also tasked him to impart some veteran knowledge on the Hornets’ young core. After all, Harrell had a few teammates at his previous stops who’re pretty good – like LeBron James and Paul George – and he brings playoff experience.
As the Hornets journey on their two-month sprint to the regular-season finish line, Harrell’s presence is going to be extremely invaluable to help them stay on the right path. With 21 games remaining and the Hornets two games shy of falling completely out of postseason contention, they don’t have the luxury of a cushion to soften a lengthy losing streak. They’ve cashed in those chips already,
“It’s about staying focused and disciplined right now, no matter who the opponent is,” Borrego said. “… I feel like this group is locked in right now. The last two practices, it felt different to me. The mentality, effort, the focus. What is behind us is behind us. There’s a lot of basketball left to be played. Our best days are in front of us right now as a basketball team. It’s about building off this win and not being satisfied, and I believe this group has that mentality.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
