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Charlotte Hornets. 18. team. 170. . 17-18. Previous: 18th
Charlotte Hornets:
Week 11: 1-1
Won vs: Wolves 135-102
Lost to: Blazers 111-123
Week 12 opponents: Pistons, Raptors
Offense: (111.4) 16th
Defense: (111.8) 17th
Net: (Minus -0.5) 19th
Last season the team that became the clear NBA League Pass guilty pleasure was the Memphis Grizzlies fueled by the exciting play of rookie Ja Morant.
This season the team taking that position is the Charlotte Hornets. In a similar fashion, again it’s the play of another rookie earning them this honor — LiMelo Ball. The youngest Ball brother is putting the art of dishing dimes on an even playing field with spectacular dunks.
Much like Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic, LiMelo exudes pure joy on the hardwood and that is infectious both for teammates and fans.
Seven Hornets are averaging double-figure scoring with Cody Zeller (9.7) just short of that benchmark. That factor makes this team dangerous particularly in close games because anyone in that group could take the final shot.
While LiMelo brings excitement back to Charlotte, Gordon Hayward is the undeniable leader and alpha. Unlike most alphas, Hayward is the perfect orchestrator for the Hornets equally likely to play decoy or draw two defenders and find the open shooter.
| Season | Tm | G | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | UTA | 73 | 15.8 | .471 | 5.1 | .398 | 10.7 | .506 | .536 | 5.9 | .844 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 21.9 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 52 | 13.5 | .500 | 4.3 | .383 | 9.2 | .554 | .561 | 2.8 | .855 | 6.7 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 17.5 |
| 2020-21 | CHO | 31 | 16.2 | .487 | 5.1 | .405 | 11.1 | .525 | .551 | 4.3 | .857 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 21.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/9/2021.
Check out the above trio of seasons, they highlight his best seasons in each of Utah and Boston. Note how closely this season is in line with that final year with the Jazz. Hayward is registering upticks in assists, steals, and shooting a highly effective 40.5 percent from the perimeter.
Moving into the second-half the key for James Borrego is improving the defense. While the Hornets are clutch time killers they’d be performing much better if they could lock teams down.