Recapping the First Half as Hornets Prepare to Exit All-Star Break - Brooklynnets.com

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The Charlotte Hornets made 35 total appearances over the course of their pre-All-Star Break schedule and after a much-needed midseason break, will take part in another 37 outings over the next nine weeks. There’s plenty to unpack from the opening two months and even more to look forward to from the Charlotte Hornets as the condensed 2020-21 NBA campaign continues to transpire.

Hornets Excelling in Clutch Time: Charlotte currently sits seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 17-18 record thanks largely to its ability to win close games this season. The team holds the best net rating in clutch time by an absurdly wide margin (53.0; next closest is Philadelphia at 26.0) and has the third-best winning percentage in these particular situations (.688; 11-5). Time and time again, the Hornets are putting themselves in position to win and more often than not, are finding ways to pull out close games against quality opponents.

Ball Blowing Away Expectations: Guard LaMelo Ball has surpassed even the loftiest of projections through the first half of his debut season, ranking as the only NBA rookie in the last 60 years to sit first in total points, rebounds, assists and steals at the All-Star Break, per Elias. Ball has already won both Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards and has brought a spotlight to Charlotte with his better-than-expected scoring versatility (38% from 3P), dazzling no-look passes, defensive play-making and overall flare this season.

Rozier, Hayward Thriving as Team’s Leading Scorers: The former Boston Celtics teammates reunited in Charlotte this year and thus far, are playing some of – if not the best – basketball of their respective careers. Rozier has taken another big step forward with a nightly scoring output of 20.5 points on 44% shooting from three, while Hayward’s 21.5 points per contest trails only his 2016-17 NBA All-Star campaign in Utah. The pair have both posted single-game career highs in scoring at some point this season and have proven capable of taking on big offensive loads when necessary.

Bridges and Monk Strengthening Reserve Unit: Miles Bridges has found his niche as an off-the-bench, high-energy small-ball forward with the ability to create offense in multiple ways, put pressure on the rim, facilitate and generate defensive mismatches. As for Monk, he hardly played the first month because of Health and Safety-related issues during training camp, but has emerged as one of the NBA’s top bench scorers and three-point marksmen (13.5 PPG and 44% from 3P). These two have been tremendous lately for the second unit and provided the Hornets with invaluable depth.

Hornets Playing with Quicker Pace: After finishing last in the NBA in pace a year ago (96.24 possessions per 48 minutes) and 23rd in fast-break points (11.6), the Hornets are moving a bit quicker now with those numbers jumping to 10th (100.90) and fourth (15.3), respectively. Throughout the preseason, Head Coach James Borrego emphasized utilizing a higher number of ball-handlers on the court at all times in order to push the tempo. So far, the plan certainly seems to be working for a Hornets squad that also currently sits 16th in offense (111.4) after finishing 28th in 2019-20 (105.9).

Navigating Injuries and Absences: Like most of the rest of the league, the Hornets have dealt with their fair share of bump and bruises plus (somewhat) expected situations related to COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols. Most notably, frontcourt anchor Cody Zeller sat out the first month with a broken hand and Devonte’ Graham (team-best 4.0 net rating this season) has missed 10 of the last 12 games because of groin and knee ailments. Managing injuries and rest will be a challenge the rest of the way, but also an absolutely vital component of the compacted second-half schedule.

Defensive Improvements to Be Focal Point: The most glaring area the Hornets will need to tighten up is on the defensive end. More often than not, Charlotte has loaded up the paint in order to take away easier attempts at the rim, while mixing in matchup zone and other different coverages. Opponents have countered at the three-point line though as the Hornets are currently allowing the second-most makes (15.2) and attempts (40.4) from distance by any team in the NBA this season. The team won’t necessarily be able to take away both areas completely, but finding a better, more strikable balance is certainly a possibility over the final 37 contests.

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Recapping the First Half as Hornets Prepare to Exit All-Star Break - Brooklynnets.com
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