Offseason outlook about the Hornets proves true in their latest win

The Charlotte Hornets figured in a close contest for the fourth consecutive game, defeating the Toronto Raptors 138-133 on Wednesday. All four of the Hornets' matches this season have been decided by eight points or fewer.

Fortunately, they were able to come out victorious to secure a 2-2 record before their dreaded three games in four nights schedule against a couple of the league's best teams.

Charlotte needed all 48 minutes to defeat the underhanded yet pesky Raptors. Some of its starters failed to provide the squad with a needed scoring punch, but thankfully, the bench stepped up.

Our prediction the reserves will be a strength has been accurate so far

Among the usual suspects for the Hornets' second unit was Tre Mann, who led the team in scoring with 27 points. A surprising contributor, though, was the defensive-minded Cody Martin, who finished with 25. Grant Williams added 17 points to boot.

The other two reserves that also saw playing time didn't do much stat-wise but contributed in different areas. Tidjane Salaun finally recorded his first NBA points, although he had just three points. Still, his energy on both ends of the court was infectious. Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate didn't attempt a single shot, although he was active on the boards in nine minutes of action and led the Hornets in plus/minus with +23.

Charlotte's depth has been a boon for the franchise early in the 2024-25 campaign. And as we predicted in the offseason, the bench has indeed been an area of strength for the team.

Interestingly, that outlook was contingent on the players being healthy. However, the second unit has been a force to be reckoned with despite Brandon Miller and Mark Williams dealing with injuries. Once all the starters are healthy, the double-double threat Nick Richards and sharpshooting Seth Curry will be additional weapons for the Hornets off the bench.

As it stands, the Hive squad is fourth in bench scoring with an average of 44.8 points per contest. The only teams ahead of it are the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Grizzlies.

It remains to be seen if the Hornets' impressive bench play will be sustainable for the rest of the season. There isn't much reason to believe it won't be, but fingers are crossed that their depth won't be tested by injuries. The next games will actually be a good test of Charlotte's depth, as it will have back-to-back bouts with the Boston Celtics followed by a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.