Retour
After suffering a 47-point loss to division rival Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets will be back in action tonight against another divisional foe, Miami, looking to get rid of the sour taste in their mouth.
Can the Bugs put that horrid offensive performance behind them and get back in the win column? Here is what our staff sees playing out in Uptown tonight.
Brandon Miller has not looked sharp in his first two games of the season, and at times, it looks like he's trying to take things over and simply can't. I have a feeling we won't see Miller truly get back to form until Coby White returns, and that obviously is not happening tonight. Charlotte's offense struggles once again, but it won't be nearly as bad as last night. It can't possibly happen two nights in a row like that. Right?
The Hornets don’t seem to have any real offensive firepower right now. Last night was unfathomably ugly. It starts with Brandon Miller, who looks like a shell of himself without a supreme playmaker setting him up. That isn’t going to change tonight against the Heat defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to have his way with this frontcourt, and the Hornets don't have the guns to keep this one very close. We could be in for another really ugly one.
I don't foresee Charlotte losing by 47 again, but this isn't a favorable matchup for the Hornets with their current group. While Miami has struggled defensively through two games, this could be a get-right game for that unit. The book is out on Charlotte, and any team that isn't applying constant ball pressure on Charlotte's wings and guards is doing itself a disservice. The Heat have the personnel to do so with defenders like Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, and Pelle Larsson.
Miami also has a defensive backline of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, which will make it difficult for Charlotte to put pressure on the rim. To stay competitive in this one, the Hornets will need to shoot the three-ball at a high clip and take much better care of the basketball than they did last night. Even if they do those things, I just don't think they can score enough points right now to beat a quality conference opponent with one of the best players in the league.