The Hornets roll into Brooklyn to catch the Nets on the second night of a back to back.  Will that help the Hornets to victory?

Despite Brook Lopez’s well documented inability to grab a defensive rebound – something he shares with his twin Robin – the mildly un-interesting Brooklyn Nets make a living by smashing opponents on the glass.  Defensively, the Nets grab the ninth highest percentage of rebounds, while on the offensive side they rank fifth overall.  That advantage is thanks to players like Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries,  Andray Blatche, Wallace and Bogans – all of whom support rebound rates higher than the league average.

The result of all that work on the boards isn’t just a limitation of opponents possessions – but also a high free throw rate for a team that has no specialist in attacking the glass.  Most teams in the top 10 at drawing free throws sports a monster wing slasher like Durant, Harden or LeBron.  Not this Brooklyn team, which has only Deron Williams to draw free throws off the bounce.  Instead, this team gets a few free throws from almost every player as they fight for rebounds, and the numbers add up – giving the Nets that little advantage they need to earn a winning record.

So how do the Hornets win against the Nets?

Keys to the Game

1. No Turnovers.  The Nets don’t force turnovers and give up a high FG%.  The Hornets have to simply hold on to the ball to get a good shot.  Over their last 10 games, the Hornets have been much better at holding on to the ball.  That needs to continue.
2. Rain threes.  The Nets are at about the league average at allowing three pointers attempted, but they are one of the worst teams this year at contesting those shots.
3. Pick and Roll Lopez to death.  Brook Lopez has all the defensive issues of his brother.  Robin is murdered in pick and rolls.  Unleash Davis as a roll man at center and make the Nets pay if they play Brook long minutes.

Enjoy the game!