Charlotte Hornets – Highs and Lows of Week One
By Joey Cruz
In what some may consider to be a surprise, the Charlotte Hornets have managed to begin the season with a 2-2 record.
While the Hornets have been playing well, there is always room for improvement. With that said, what have been the “highs” and “lows” through one week of the season?
What have been the “highs” for the Charlotte Hornets so far?
To many, the Hornets’ season opener against the San Antonio Spurs was viewed as an easy victory. After trading all-star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks during the offseason, the Spurs have hit the reset button and are in the thick of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The Hornets came out firing against the Spurs, converting on 16/29 field-goal attempts and 2/3 three-point attempts on the way to a 38-point first quarter. The Hornets kept their foot on the gas, scoring 30 points in the second and third quarters and 31 points in the fourth quarter. Terry Rozier led the way with an impressive 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Nick Richards had an excellent game, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with 19 points. The rest of the team had solid contributions on the way to an imposing win.
The Hornets also picked up an impressive road victory over the Hawks, winning by 17 in Atlanta despite playing without LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Cody Martin. Nick Richards set career highs in points (20) and rebounds (11) in the contest.
Kelly Oubre has been solid, as his play has been more resemblant of his career-best season with the Phoenix Suns than of his late-season swoon from a year ago. Dennis Smith Jr. is on track for a strong season, Nick Richards is emerging as a quality center, Mason Plumlee looks better, and the Hornets have had one of the better defenses in the league.
What have been the “lows” for the Charlotte Hornets so far?
The home opener saw the Hornets take a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans while also losing Rozier to an ankle sprain in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets also suffered an overtime loss to the New York Knicks, running their losing streak in overtime games to 10 games.
P.J. Washington had a strong debut in the season opener, but he has also had some games to forget. Against New Orleans, he had a true shooting percentage of just 38.5% and his overall field goal percentage currently sits at 42.6%.
Injuries have impacted the Hornets in a major way. LaMelo Ball was already out with a sprained ankle that he suffered in the preseason. Cody Martin was then injured after less than a minute of action in the season opener. Finally, Terry Rozier suffered a right ankle sprain against the Pelicans.
James Bouknight has had inconsistencies so far. Bouknight went scoreless in the first two games, missing all 10 of his field goals attempts. However, he has scored a combined 23 points on 44.4% shooting over the past two games.
The weeks to come will prove whether the Hornets are legitimately better than expected or if they just had a strong week to begin the season. Whatever the case, fans should be excited for a team that is playing hard in every game, no matter the outcome.