Following the Hornets 111-102 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, many thoughts began to circle throughout my head. The first thought was anger. How could, in my opinion, a playoff bound team lose to a team that had lost 9 straight and resorted to having a bowling party to get focused. The second thought was disappointment. Although I’m not around the team on a daily basis like the coaches, I can sympathize with Coach Steve Clifford in his disappointment. This Hornets team is possibly one of the most talented teams that Charlotte has seen on the basketball floor. Every single Hornets fan knows that the team can play better. As I look back on the Phoenix game a few days later, I view this game as being a wake up call for the team. They can’t just show up to the arena and expect to win on a nightly basis; they’re going to have to work for every game they play.
Now, I have some solutions and ideas to help the Hornets break their current funk. At the beginning of the year, I understood most of the losses. These early defeats could be attributed to the fact that the Hornets had a virtually totally new roster. The turnover in the summer of 2015 was tremendous, and I wasn’t surprised that Charlotte lost some of their games in October and November. Now, going into January, I can understand the current Hornets losses less and less. Sure, I know that the Hornets are injured, but losing to the Suns? Come on. This is the same Suns team that was down by 30 to the Lakers. Yes that Lakers team.
Maybe this team isn’t what we thought they were at the start of the year. I believed that this team would contend for a 4 or 5 seed in the East. Now, I believe that they will get the 7 or 8 seed, and there is a strong chance that Charlotte might not even make the playoffs. This upcoming string of games is crucial for the Hornets as a whole. Here are my keys to get the Hornets back to their winning ways.
Win against the Clippers
Ah, win against the LA Clippers at the Staples Center. Easier said than done, right? Although this might be a pipe dream for the Hornets to beat a very good Clippers team, I believe that Charlotte must win this game. Not because I have a personal vendetta against the Clippers and Lance Stephenson. Not because I think that Steve Ballmer is rather weird. I believe that the Hornets must win this game to get confidence back. This is not an easy game to win, I admit that, but with there being no easy nights in the Association, the Hornets are going to have to win the tough games. These two teams played in Charlotte on December 30th, and the Clippers won 122-117 in a hard fought game. LA was led by 26 points from JJ Redick and 22 from Austin Rivers. Now, I’m not trying to disrespect either Rivers or Redick, but I doubt that they can perform at this high level again. Maybe they had good games because they were playing in Charlotte, a stronghold for UNC Tarheels, and the former Blue Devils wanted to stick one to the old blue-bellies. Although the Clippers are a good team, I believe that this is a winnable game for the Hornets, and if they do win this game, the tide of the season will change for the better.
Guard the three-point shot
In the modern NBA, the three-point shot has become a key to success. The Golden State Warriors (although they are a great defensive team) are a fantastic three-point shooting team. Players such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson can knock down threes with relative ease. Recently, the Hornets have been making players such as Austin Rivers, Mirza Teletovic and Patrick Patterson look like bonafide three-point snipers. As many NBA fans know, these players are not really very good players. Sure, they are good role players, but in no ways are they Ray Allen-type shooters. Even by watching one quarter of this Hornets team, a viewer could see that the defensive rotations are very slow at the moment. These rotations need to get better, and the players need to be able to close out opposing shooters. If the Hornets can’t stop the three-point shot, they are doomed to fail on the defensive end. However, Charlotte has one of the best defensive minds in the game in Coach Clifford, and I have faith in him that he can right the ship defensively.
Rebound
With the departure of Bismack Biyombo this offseason to Toronto, the Hornets lost their main rebounder from years past. Biz would eat up the glass and get both offensive and defensive boards. During the free agency period, I believed that the Hornets needed to either resign Biz or pick up a big who would eat up the boards. Alas, the Hornets didn’t sign anyone. Earlier this year, it seemed as though the players on the roster could fill the void left by Biz. Now, my fears from the summer have come true. Rebounding isn’t about being 7 foot tall and 280 pounds. Its about wanting to get every board. This is what made Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, and now Bismack Biyombo great rebounders. Charlotte either needs to pick up the intensity on the glass or make a move before the trade deadline for a great rebounder. One of my trade fantasies for this Hornets team has been to get rid of Big Al (who probably will leave this offseason) to Milwaukee for Greg Monroe. Monroe eats up the boards and could easily step in at the 5 spot for Cody Zeller, who would then move to the four spot or maybe even the bench. Monroe would provide that rebounding presence that this team needs immediately.
R-E-L-A-X
With channeling my inner Aaron Rodgers, I plea Hornets fans to relax. I vividly remember fans in the Hornets Facebook group wanting Clifford’s head after the 0-3 start. This anger, of course, was ludicrous. Cliff is one of the best coaches in the game, and another team would snatch him up right after we got rid of him. This team is going through a rough stretch, and nobody can argue with that. I see losing streak to be a cause of growing pains. Cho and MJ virtually assembled a new team this summer, and now we are finally seeing them go through a bad vein of form. This team needs a win badly, just to get confidence back. I believe that the Hornets will still make the playoffs in the East. MKG will come back this season and will change the course of the year, but the Hornets can’t wait for his arrival to start winning games. They need to start winning now, so when MKG comes back, the team will be confident as a unit.
Although this Hornets team has been extremely frustrating at times, I still love this team. They play with an offensive spark that I have never seen in a Bobcats/Hornets team. All they need to do is follow my steps to get back on track and then they’ll be fine. But hey, if the Hornets don’t get back to winning ways soon, we’ll still always have the Panthers.