Why Charlotte Hornets’ next 24 games could be crucial to their playoff fate
For the Charlotte Hornets to break a two-season streak of missing the playoffs, the push can’t wait until March and April.
That’s the reality of a schedule front-loaded with home games.
Starting Tuesday night against the Miami Heat, the Hornets play 17 of their next 24 games at Spectrum Center. By the end of December, the Hornets will have already played 21 of their 41 home dates, including all four against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, teams they should dominate if they expect to reach the post-season.
Last season, the Hornets were 21-20 at home, but 15-26 on the road, which sunk their playoff chances.
It’s common for the Hornets to play a disproportionate number of home games before New Year’s Day because typically Spectrum Center hosts a number of non-Hornets events in February and March. This season, the Spectrum Center hosts the NBA All-Star Weekend (Hornets will be out of town the week before to make way for arena preparations) and the CIAA and ACC tournaments.
The shift will be quite dramatic in January, when the Hornets play 10 of 14 away from home, including a six-game trip through the Western Conference.
A true second option
Part of James Borrego’s agenda when he was hired as Hornets coach in May was to diversify the offense: Have point guard Kemba Walker play off the ball some, enforce quicker ball-movement and look for more early-offense scoring opportunities.
All good tactics. But ultimately it’s still about personnel and so far there is still no true second scoring option.
Walker is second in the NBA in scoring at 31.7 points per game (behind former Davidson star Stephen Curry at 32.5). Next among Hornets scorers: Jeremy Lamb’s 11.4 ppg., which is 114th in the NBA and Malik Monk’s 11 ppg., which is 119th.
There was a sense of excitement when Monk hit two big fourth-quarter shots in the win at Miami that he might be establishing himself as a clutch-time alternative when teams focus their defense so emphatically on Walker. But that’s still a work-in-progress; Monk shot 1-of-8 in Philadelphia Saturday and is 11-of-38 in his last four games.
Lamb has been more consistent as a scorer, reaching at least nine points in each of the Hornets’ seven games. However, he’s yet to top 16 points in any one game.
“We’ve got options out there. Who in the fourth quarter is going to be that consistent second scorer for us behind Kemba? We’re still working through that,” Borrego said.
“That’s my job: I have to find the right combinations and run the right sets. Who we’re going to run stuff for and who is going to be handling (the ball) other than Kemba.”
Nic Batum said at shootaround Tuesday that establishing offensive complements to Walker was a big topic of conversation among the players since Saturday’s road loss. Monk said this is important, in part to keep Walker fresh.
“He needs as much of a break as he can,” Monk said. “He’s going to play a lot and get a lot of shots. That’s what he does. We know that.
“We’ve got to have someone to give him a break, and I think that’s why I’m here. I’ve just got to step up now.”
Graham review
The Hornets were clearly excited about getting rookie point guard Devonte Graham early in the second round, via a draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Saturday in Philadelphia was the first real test of what Graham is ready to do.
Borrego didn’t activate veteran Tony Parker against the 76ers after Parker played 19 minutes the night before against the Chicago Bulls (finishing with 18 points and eight assists). That elevated Graham to the backup point guard spot, something Borrego said could happen often this season as Borrego manages 36-year-old Parker’s minutes.
Graham had a bad turnover in the third quarter Saturday, but overall played well with seven points and two assists in 13 minutes. It was Graham’s second appearance in the first seven games.
“It didn’t surprise me. I thought he was ready for the moment,” Borrego said. “He gave us great energy and steadied us. That didn’t look like that was his first time out there.
“It’s his job to stay ready because you never know when your number will get called. Tony (Parker) could sit a certain night. I can go down that line and look at Devonte, and know he’s going to give us something every single night when called on.”
Here and there
It’s obviously a small sample size of seven games, but it’s unexpected the Hornets would lead the NBA in average blocks per game this season (7.57) after the departure of center Dwight Howard. Less surprising is them averaging the fewest turnovers in the NBA so far at 11.43...Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who grew up in Gastonia, leads the NBA in average rebounds at 16.2 per game...Hornets rookie Miles Bridges leads NBA rookies in 3-point accuracy at 43.8 percent.
This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Why Charlotte Hornets’ next 24 games could be crucial to their playoff fate."