Takeaways From the Charlotte Hornets Fifth Preseason Game vs Chicago Bulls
The Charlotte Hornets might have gotten a big overtime win over the Chicago Bulls but that doesn’t mean there weren’t negatives in their performance.
The Charlotte Hornets picked up their second straight win as they defeated the Chicago Bulls, 108-104, in an overtime thriller. The team is looking better than they did in their first three exhibition games but they are still struggling in some aspects.
The win comes after Charlotte had seven days rest from their last preseason game. They were the fresher side and it showed. Although the game went to overtime, Nicolas Batum had a chance to win the game with an easy floater at the buzzer that he missed, but we aren’t going to include that in the negative this time. It’s only preseason.
Marco Belinelli had a bounce back game after scoring zero against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he put up a team-high 14 points. Cody Zeller, Perry Ellis, Brian Roberts, and Treveon Graham all missed the game due to injury but they should all be able to return soon. Every player who dressed, saw the court and got playing time in this one.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Positives:
Kaminsky Continues to Score
Frank Kaminsky continues his strong preseason with an impressive scoring performance against the Bulls. He scored a team-high 14 points and while he didn’t shoot great from the field, he still leads the Hornets in scoring this preseason. The second-year player is really growing into his own and finding his shots.
MKG’s Near Double-Double
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist only shot 3-13 from the field but he managed to score nine points and grab a team-high 10 rebounds in this one. Four of those boards were offensive rebounds so that was a huge plus for the team. His shot will either improve or stay the same from here on out but his hustle play for rebounds and loose balls will always be present.
Roy Hibbert Returning to Form?
Just two short years ago, Roy Hibbert was an all-star level center and one of the best defensive big men in the league. He has been Charlotte’s starting center during the preseason and he seems to somewhat be regaining his old form and playing well. He recorded 11 points, four rebounds, and three blocks in 24 minutes against Chicago. Those blocks are something the Hornets desperately need as they lacked interior defense last season.
Bench Gets it Done in Overtime
Steve Clifford pulled all of his starters/rotation players when the game went to overtime and he decided instead to give the young/bench guys a chance. Aaron Harrison, Mike Tobey, Rasheed Sulaimon, Christian Wood, and Andrew Andrews all closed out the game and proved themselves to be clutch in the extra period of play. They won the game and outscored the Bulls 10-6 in OT.
Negatives:
Still Struggling to Shoot
The team’s still struggling to find their shot from inside and from beyond the three-point line. They only shot (33-99) 33.3% from the field and (8-29) 27.6% from behind the arc. In terms of individual shooting, Kemba Walker shot (4-15) 26.7%, Frank shot (4-14) 28.6%, MKG shot (3-13) 23.1%, Jeremy Lamb shot (3-11) 27.3%, and Nic Batum shot (2-11) 18.2% from the field. Those numbers aren’t great and hopefully they can improve going forward.
Marvin Williams Injury
Mavin Williams only played in the first half due to a left middle finger sprain that he suffered. He went to get X-rays at halftime and the team/Coach Clifford thought it best to keep him out for the remainder of the game. It is only minor injury but it is still frightening. Hopefully he can return to action soon and this doesn’t linger.
Shots in the Paint
This isn’t that big of a negative but the Bulls blocked 14 of the Hornets shots in this one. Compare that to the five blocks Charlotte had. This was nearly double what Chicago usually averages in that category this preseason. Pretty alarming that they got that many.
Next: Game Recap: Hornets Defeat Bulls, 108-104, in OT
After winning their second consecutive exhibition game, the Charlotte Hornets will now head back home. They will take on their division rivals in the Miami Heat on October 20th. They will be looking to close out the preseason with a wining streak and on a high note.