The Charlotte Hornets gutted out a win in San Antonio against the Spurs, 100-97, without the help of their rookie phenom LaMelo Ball.
With Ball out for the season due to a fractured wrist, the pace of the Hornets slowed down tonight, running a lot more of their offense out of the half-court instead of getting fast and easy transition buckets. Coach James Borrego highlighted in shoot around that they were going to “reshape and reform themselves” in order to find a way to win without LaMelo in the lineup.
This means we will see a whole lot of offense being played out of the half-court just as they did in their victory over the Spurs. Staying resilient and having the next man-up mentality is always the way to go when an impact player goes down. It gave us a glimpse of what to expect from this Hornets team without Ball controlling the pace of the offense.
Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier
To stay in the hunt for a playoff spot, Hayward and Rozier are going to have to dictate the pace in the half-court. Even though shots were not falling the Hornets as a team, Hayward dropped 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Rozier put up 24, but 14 of those points came in the fourth quarter.
Both of them took turns initiating the offense and making timely shots as the game waned. A large lump sum of cash was invested in those two to help this young team get wins. If they can continue to get the job done, it'll be considered a worthy investment. Of course, both of them know the importance Ball brought to the squad.
Hayward said, “I was disappointed. He was great for our team and he was just getting going. We all wish him a speedy recovery, he is extremely important to our team.”
Rozier chimed in saying, “I feel for him. Melo is like my little brother, if it was up to him he'd play left handed. But he is in a good place, he'll be alright.”
Fourth Quarter Dominance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgXY7oRH098
The Hornets are the only team in the NBA that is a perfect 16-0 if they are leading the game after three quarters. It is one of the more impressive stats in the league and something to pay attention to.
Despite tight finishes, this team can weather the storm and figure out ways to come away with scrappy wins. Against the Spurs, the Hornets only shot 42 percent from the field but played outstanding defense to help secure the win. Rozier is normally the go-to scorer in the clutch, but LaMelo Ball has made several big plays down the stretch to help this surprising stat.
Going forward, timely shots and stops should always be able to seal the win for this young scrappy sward if it comes down to the wire.
Team Playmaking
Despite Ball averaging 19 points as a starter since February, his best asset was his playmaking ability. In his absence, the Hornets need to settle into doing it by committee.
Hayward mentioned how he will have to handle the ball a bit more and find a way to get his teammates some easy shots, as well as for himself. Guys like Devonte' Graham and Rozier are going to have to make sure to get the team going. However, playing a more half-court-minded offense will give Borrego a chance to add a few more plays for Hayward and Rozier to make the decision to either score or find the open teammate.
The Hornets are going to miss LaMelo Ball for sure, but they have no choice but to find the best way for them to win games. The bottom of the eastern conference is still shifting and they can easily find themselves in the playoffs if they are able to find a new identity that works. With the type of veterans they do have on the roster, that is a doable goal for the Hornets moving forward.
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