The Charlotte Hornets fell to the Utah Jazz 119-111 on Saturday. The win was out of reach most of the game, but the Hornets managed to pull it to within 10 a few different points in the second half. Despite the loss, some positive strides were made. The young big men for Charlotte got to see the floor more and flourish with a few more minutes of playing time. With Mark Williams being out with a sprained right thumb, Nick Richards and Kai Jones played more than usual.
Richards finished with nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks in 30 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Jones put up six points, five boards and three blocks in 17 minutes. They may not seem like eye-popping stats, but playing time for any young player is huge–especially for big men who normally take longer to develop than guards or wing players.
PJ Washington took note of his centers' performances and gave them props after the game.
“They’'e doing great. I’m proud of both of them. Kai’s been playing great and giving good minutes – rebounding at a high level, blocking shots, just being athletic and doing what he does best. Same with Nick. I’m proud of both of them, and we’ll need them both down the stretch,” Washington noted.
The two bigs combined for eight of the Hornets' 14 blocks against the Jazz. Unfortunately, Utah still managed to put up 66 points in the paint and had 20 offensive rebounds. The next step in their development would be sealing off other bigs to secure rebounds to end opposing possessions. It's a work in progress, but definitely a step in the right direction.
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