OKC Thunder: NBA Power Rankings week 10 – All-Star break edition

Charlotte Hornets:

Week 10: 2-2
Won vs:  Suns 124-121, Kings 127-126
Lost to: Jazz 110-132, Warriors 121-130

Opponents this week: Blazers, Wolves

Offensive Rating: 110.9 (17th) | Defensive Rating: 112.1 (21st) | Net Differential: -1.1 (21st)

I grappled with this placement but elected to place the Hornets 18th. While their win versus the Suns was impressive the win over the Kings was more about what Sacramento didn’t do than what the Hornets did.

James Borrego has empowered his young squad whose confidence shines particularly in close games. Helping the Hornets offense is there isn’t a definitive go-to guy so anyone can take the shot. Gordon Hayward is the alpha but he’s just as likely to pass the ball as take the shot.

But, for a young squad, the defensive issues are troubling particularly as the Hornets rank 26th for opponent points scored off turnovers, 25th for opponent points scored off the fast break and 20th in opponent perimeter efficiency.

LaMelo Ball has added excitement to this team who is an NBA League Pass favorite. But, with so many youngsters on this squad, Borrego needs to get the team invested in defense if they intend to continue ascending the ladder.