Game Preview
The Charlotte Hornets (1-1) continue their three game road trip on Sunday, this time headed to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Wizards (1-1). Despite finishing with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season, the Wizards swept the season series against the Hornets 4-0.
The Hornets enter the game on the second night of a back-to-back, falling 125-121 to the 76ers last night in a game that went down to the final seconds. LaMelo Ball led the team with 27 points, slightly outpacing the 25.2 points per game he contributed last season. He also contributed 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and a block.
Brandon Miller left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Any time missed by the emerging wing would be a devastating blow to a Hornets team that was riddled with injuries last season.
The Wizards enter the matchup on the heels of a 117-107 victory against the Mavericks in Dallas. Kyshawn George put together an impressive 34-point, 11-rebound performance which saw him shoot 7-9 from 3pt range. 2024 second-overall pick Alex Sarr chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds as well.
Key Matchup – Winning on the Perimeter, Consistently
Both teams have shot the basketball well from beyond the arc in their first two games. The Hornets are 33-78 from deep, good for the second-best three-point percentage in the NBA so far this season. The Wizards have shot nearly identically, converting 32-78 threes so far.
Now. do not get it twisted- these are just two games of sample size. There is a while to go before enough games have been played to truly pick apart statistics.
With that said, these are two young teams who finished last and second-to-last in the Eastern Conference last season. Being a complete team out of the gate is a lofty goal for either squad. More important to the long term improvement of these teams will be finding consistency, which begins with finding an identity.
Making threes at an especially efficient clip is a great starting place. Doing so usually involves good spacing, intentional ball movement, and smart shot-selection. If either of these teams are going to find notable improvement this season, proving that they can hone these skills on a night-to-night basis will surely be part of the formula.
INJURY REPORT
Hornets: OUT – Josh Green (Shoulder), Grant Williams (Knee) Day-to-Day – Brandon Miller (Shoulder)
Wizards: OUT – Bilal Coulibaly
Projected Starting Lineups
– TRENDING STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI –
Hornets blow double-digit lead in 4th quarter, drop 11th straight vs. Sixers
Hornets swtich up starting five for road matchup vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Score predictions for Charlotte Hornets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
First Hornets road trip sees clash with Maxey, Embiid, and a record-breaking rookie
