It wasn’t always pretty but the Hornets hung on and beat the Bobcats in a game almost no one saw on TV.
The Hornets came out firing and seemed poised to repeat their performance from Tuesday night by racing out to an 18 point lead. They then blew that lead before regaining it and holding on to win the game. The Bobcats actually hit a 3-pointer to tie the game, but the shot came just after the final buzzer. If this were the regular season this would have been a terrifying game since the Bobcats are just awful. But it’s preseason so let’s take this game for what it’s worth.
The game wasn’t televised which makes recapping the game based off the audio feed much tougher. I was hoping to see (hear?) more of the Hornets’ off ball movement on offense. But that wasn’t really touched on during the game. I also have no idea if the Hornets played a zone defense at all. But still, there were a handful of things to take away from the game. Let’s do this…
-Robin Lopez finished with a respectable stat line, but he seemed to struggle for stretches. Defensively, he finished with 4 fouls. I’ll live with it since most of those fouls occurred while contesting easy Bobcats shots. Monty might not like the fouls but he’ll be okay not giving up uncontested dunks/shots.
-The Hornets shooting was pretty poor overall–at one point it dipped as low as 32.6%–but that was more due to bad luck. Multiple 3-point attempts rimmed out. As the bad luck started to turn around the shots started falling and the Hornets got themselves back into the game.
-I have no idea how Lance Thomas played. But he did have 14 points on 7 shots. I’m not exactly the biggest backer of Thomas, but performances like tonight (if he indeed did play like the box score states) will change my mind. Did I say I’m not a fan of listening to the game on the radio?
-Anthony Davis! You can just tell he is a franchise changer. He put up a fantastic 12/8/1 line at halftime. More so than the numbers, he was constantly involved in the game on both sides of the ball. He was going up for every rebound and running all over the place on offense.
He also showed off his ball handling skills by facing up and taking his defender on off the dribble. Most big men are going to have trouble defending that. I dig it.
-The Bobcats pressed the Hornets’ offense in the second quarter and the Hornets struggled to respond. This could be a huge concern for the Hornets. Because they already run such a slow paced offense that possessions are vital. But I’m not getting too worked up until I see this happen in person or on TV.
-Monty decided to give the start to Brian Roberts and it paid off. Though he had quiet stretches at times, Roberts ran the offense well. He was also one of the few bright spots on offense going 6 of 7 from the field.
-Aminu sounded like he had a so-so game. What encourages me is his effort levels has increased. There was a play where the Hornets inbounded the ball and it was quickly stolen by the Bobcats. Aminu chased down the ball handler and got a block from behind to deny the easy score. Aminu will remain maddening as long as he keeps showing flashes of potential.
34 responses to “Hornets Hang On and Beat the Bobcats 90-87”
Monty is going to lay into these guys after 20+ turnovers. That is unacceptable and the Hornets simply won’t win games if they turn the ball over. There is just not enough talent to overcome those kind of mistakes. I am also very interested to see how Davis and Rivers do tomorrow. 3 games in 4 nights- not something the rooks are used to and it seems like they both lost their legs a bit tonight in the second half.
That said, wouldn’t it be nice if Roberts and Thomas can be above average to good 9th and 10th men?
Do we have a PG controversy developing in the Gig Easy???
I think this was more to just get a good look at Roberts.
Roberts has lots of film and 3 seasons in Europe… He can lift a game at PG just doing his job… He is the complete opposite of a guy like JJ.. Looks like a real PG… He might be great off the bench due to his apparent consistency.. I saw all the Summer League games and this guy is really needed on this team if for fundamentals including spacing… and passing PLUS he will take the shot…
This guy will light it up if needed… I would take him before JJ in the final minute… Just wait until these kids, this year, get accustomed to playing together… We are younger, longer and more athletic…
Davis alone is a former PG… that is really considering he might just have PG skills… put him on Kevin Durant… There are so many possibilities for Monty Williams… God Bless Him… What young coach wouldn’t want this roster…
turnovers almost kill the hornets tonight…..good 1st quarter….very bad 2nd and 3rd quarter……good comeback….team do not give up even if its a preseason game
1) The STL/BLK/TO differentials are very worrisome.
2) AD only shot 4/12. That’s Kamanesque.
3) According to Yahoo, AD had 3 shots blocked versus blocking only 1.
4) If the Kittens had only been decent at 3P%, they’d have won.
5) Does the Bobcats’ 9 BS mean that they were packing the paint?
LOL… the kid is 19 yrs old… Let’s just look at the position and the personnel… we have Smith and Anderson at PF… its cool… Do we really need these rookies to be a good team… no but they can help us become a great team… Look AD and Rivers plus Miller are the top of last years college crop… PLUS they are accustomed to winning… recall the impact of Reggie Bush on the Saints… and its good he is doing Great…
What about the other 4 points?
I just got home from the game. I’m a huge hornets fan and live in charleston. h
Here is what i learned from this game:
Fact…Brian Roberts handles the ball well, and can really shoot. Might have a bigger role on the team then expected.
Fact…Anthony Davis is going to make a big splash on the offensive end. Stop the raw talk.
Fact…Jason Smith is more important to this team then Ryan Anderson. Smith is more physical, athletic, and has an equally soft touch from the field. Anderson can shoot and crashes the boards hard, but doesn’t have near the same presence defensively. I’m tired of people admiring the “naturals”, with lots of “potential”. How about some love for guys that put the time in, stay humble, and get better.
Fact…Lance Thomas plays with passion. He really hustles and plays with an edge. We need a tough gritty player like him to play when the jump shots aren’t falling.
Thanks for the recap. Hope you enjoyed the game. Since none of us got to see this contest, feel free to share anything else you saw first hand.
You have to get the NBA League pass on DirectTV…. every game in the league…. Remember we are a different team with a healthy EG… Never forget it… he is good for 20 every game…
Remember we are a different team with a healthy EG…
When was the last time he was healthy?
Never forget it…
Except that I can’t remember the last time he played.
he is good for 20 every game…
No, he’s not.
you watch the game ha
FACT: Smith DNP this game…….
Obviously. Nor did he play in the previous game, but the first game he was electric. A forocious, and 1, two hand dunk. And a great block on the other end. Offensively we looked lost until he came into the game. Team was able to feed off of his high energy.
You have hit the nail on the head. Especially about B.Rob
He is exactly what that team needs. A guy who is mature
great handle but most importantly can and has always
been able to put the ball in the basket. You Hornets fan
will be pleasantly surprised when he turns out to be
your Jeremy Lin.
Can’t wait to see another actual game tomorrow. As far as Monty and the Zone, he said he would put it into place after the Rockets game when they get a chance to practice again, so don’t expect to see much (if any) tomorrow. Not sure why an NBA team needs to practice a zone much, unless they are thinking a more obscure zone like a 1-3-1 which could be interesting with our personnel. Also I love Darius Miller, just putting that out there. Also keen to see what LT can do this season. Awesome time to be a hornets fan.
Toughest part for NBA players when learning to play the zone is remembering to step out of the paint every 2.5 seconds and/or find a guy to “cover” in the lane.
It takes some getting used to, especially when it comes to rebounding. Think about it- usually you are covering your man, shot goes up, and you box him out. In zone, you have to find a man, and if you and another guy pick the same guy in that split second where you have to decide, someone goes free.
It takes quite a bit of work
This is still preseason folks, settle down with comparisons, conclusions and concerns – we played some of the worst games I’ve ever seen against the bobcats last year and there was nothing much to take away from it, these are preseason games that aren’t even televised… Against the bobcats.
[…] Eu gostaria de seguir falando sobre o jogo, mas não tenho subsídios para tal façanha (clique aqui e boa sorte). A “dona” NBA não colaborou e deixou os fãs de Hornets e Bobcats […]
I can’t really gauge how good this team is until Gordon is on the floor. Need to see the full product and its killing me. lol
AND PLEASE all the EG haters need to go on vacation… Chill Out please respect the man and the game… LOL……….>………………………..
Like it’s been stated to death can’t really gauge the game from box scores and audio feeds. However I think far too many conclusion are being drawn during preseason against two of the worst teams in the league.
I’m not getting over excited over Roberts yet. We see this a lot a guy gets a chance due to the actually lack of talent/production from the guys a head of him in the depth chart. They play well in the preseason then total disappear when the games matter somewhat. Hopefully he can play at this level “for real” because I don’t have faith in either Vasquez or Rivers.
Preseason or not I’m impressed so far with Davis mostly as a rebounder. He’s on course for being an impact player I project him to be. However I still have to strongly object to him being a franchise changing star/superstar. Of the 4 baskets he made tonight all four were assisted. Pretty much all his 42 points in 3 games have come off assist. So I don’t know how affective he is at driving to the basket but based on the Orlando game and the play-by-play break down of the two Charlotte games. His face up game isn’t resulting into made baskets.
“A PF scores off of assists!?! Not a game changer!” That’s very silly. Are you expecting Davis to bring the ball up the court and cross over a PF from 16 feet away?
Not silly at all. If we are going to assume he becomes a franchise changer ie Duncan, Garnett, Bosh, Gasol etc. all those guys created offense and commanded double teams. Neither became franchise changers relying on their teammates to create for them. If the majority of his points are assisted that means he benefitting from either a play maker or the offensive scheme. While that’s fine as long as he’s efficient. It most certainly not how perennial all-star big man impacts his team.
@da ThRONe
Garnett doesn’t create his own offense in the least bit, a majority of his game is face up and he has a very limited post game. which miami heavily exploited in the play-offs, the only reason he has able to score points is cause he was the tallest dude on the court. A majority of his points are assisted by Rondo. The other examples are good tho.
I have to say, that I definitely think you can change a franchise by making an impact on the defensive end. Look at players like Ben Wallace, Tyson Chandler, and even Joakim Noah.
Ben Wallace is the perfect example. When he got traded to the Pistons he won defensive player of the year 4 straight years and he never averaged over 10 points a game. He helped them win a championship in 2004. He helped define that team.
Tyson Chandler is one of the biggest reasons that the Mavericks won their most recent title. Giving them that much needed defensive presence in the middle, something that they had seriously been lacking. The next year they finished close to a .500 record and got swept out of the play-offs.
Joakhim Noah might be one of the worst examples. Joakhim Noah has absolutely zero offensive game. But he is one of the big reasons the Bulls have one of the best defenses in the NBA. You take him away and you tell me that they could still compete for a title. Doesn’t that sound like a franchise changer?
All that being said, I do agree having an offensive game certainly helps.
http://brazilianhornet.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/e-o-filme-se-repete/
One thing you always have to respect the Hornets for is their heart. They never stop playing even when they are losing. By the boxscore, Roberts really impressed me. Hopefully Rivers picks it back up, I’m sure he is just getting a little fatigued because rookies aren’t used to all these games in so little days. Once our whole team is healthy, we are going to be a problem to all these other teams!
@Da Throne You post the dumbest Comments all the Time..Do you even like the Team
There’s a difference between dumb and unpopular. It’s apparent you’re incapable of distinguishing one from the other.
If anything I would say the fact that I strongly disagree with the direction of this team ,yet still take time out of my day to check in and my money to support them makes me a greater fan then those who are excited about the current state of the franchise.
*Negative
Your just unhappy in life. What are you going to do 2-3 years down the line when there’s no denying AD will be a all star, and austin rivers will be a solid 3rd scoring option for a defensive team? Will you continue to fight your point that they aren’t Micheal and kobe? Or will you put your ego aside and enjoy your team?
I’m assuming this is addressed to me. I’m fine in life. Fail to see how me not liking the moves the franchise has made makes me incapable of enjoying the team.
If 2-3 years from now I’m wrong I’ll do the same thing I do every other time I’ve ever been wrong about something. Say I was wrong. Only a completely delusional individual would think they are above getting things wrong.
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