3 Charlotte Hornets trends to watch post All-Star break
By W.B. Whitted
Charlotte Hornets’ defense
What happens with the Charlotte Hornets’ defense for the rest of the season will be interesting. Currently, the Hornets are currently 25th in points per possession allowed. They are 28th in points allowed per game (118.9) and have allowed at least 100 points in the last 10 games.
What will make the remaining 22 games fascinating is the adjustment post-trade from Mason Plumlee starting and getting most of the minutes to a combination of Mark Williams and Nick Richards playing center. While Richards and Williams are far younger than Plumlee and will have their defensive growing pains, they are fundamentally different in how they approach the game.
Plumlee was starting, in part, because of his ability to pass and help push an anemic offense in transition. When the team was without Ball due to injury, a case could be made that Plumlee was the best passer on the roster and needed to be on the court as much as possible to facilitate the offense. While his passing will likely be missed, there will also be an effect on the defense.
Williams and Richards are superior basket protectors to Plumlee. In the final game before the All-Star break (and less than a week after the Plumlee trade) the Hornets tied a season-high in blocked shots with 12 against the Spurs. It’s important to remember that the Hornets are last in blocks in the NBA. Having legitimate rim protection will help improve Charlotte’s defense—22nd in the league at points allowed in the paint per game.