After beating the Celtics yesterday and ending their seven game road losing streak, the Hornets look to make it two in a row at Washington tonight. The Wizards are also on the second part of a back-to-back after losing at Indiana yesterday 95-86 in a game where John Wall had 25, but nobody else on the team really showed up. The loss took the Wizards to 0-16 on the road this season.
At home however, the Wizards haven’t been at that bad going 8-7 at the Verizon Center. Most of their regulars have similar stats for both home and away with one exception- Nick Young. Young averages nearly 4 points more per game at home (17 PPG) and shoots 5% better from the field and 8% better from three. The numbers say that Nick Young likes those home rims, so don’t sleep on the guy Marco!
The Wizards rank near the bottom of the league in nearly every statistical category, with the lone exception of steals per game, where they average nearly 9 per contest. That being said, this is still a dangerous team that can push the ball and score in transition because of their athleticism. Wall and JaVale McGee are elite athletes for their respective positions, and both Nick Young and Blatche have shown that they are very capable of having 30+ point games if they get rolling. In a lot of ways, this team is similar to the Minnesota team that New Orleans fell to just 5 nights ago; talented, young, raw, capable of scoring in bunches, and incapable of playing defense. Hopefully the Hornets learned from their game in Minnesota and this time they won’t allow a bad team to stick around.
Matchups
Point Guard: Chris Paul vs. John Wall
Advantage: Hornets
I can’t wait to see this matchup in two years when CP3 is at the peak of his prime and Wall is starting to put it all together. For now we will have to settle for the best point guard in the league matching up with a dynamic scorer who still turns the ball over too much. Wall is blazing fast and almost unstoppable in the open court, but he is fairly easy to handle in half court sets since you don’t have to respect his jumper. He also needs to work on his decision making in order to become an elite point guard. Â That is the goal for this year, however, as the Arenas cloud is no longer hanging over Wall or the franchise and the rook is going to grow with each and every mistake he makes.
Shooting Guard: Marco Belinelli vs. Nick Young
Advantage: Wizards
Moving Gilbert Arenas swung the door wide open for Nick Young to walk through it, and so far he has been taking advantage of his opportunites. While he is still a below average defender and a chucker to say the least (less than 1 APG in 27 minutes!!), Young is averaging 21 PPG since becoming the starter and is shooting 48% from three-point land in those games.
Belinelli showed some signs of possibly breaking out of his funk with some big shots in the 4th quarter at Boston, and helped to seal the win by playing fantastic defense on Paul Pierce in the last posession. I credit Dariusz Ejkiewicz‘s banner. His December as a whole however has been horrible, and here is to hoping that the New Year will bring him better luck.
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Rashard Lewis
Advantage: Even
I spent some time a few days ago trying to find starting small forwards who are having a worse year offensively than Trevor Ariza and Rashard Lewis was on the list of guys who were just slightly better. Lewis is having his worst year since his rookie year in ’98-’99, but he has shown some signs of life since getting a fresh start in Washington, going for 21 and 12 with four three’s in a game against San Antonio on Sunday.
Ariza hit a huge shot yesterday that played a big part in ending the seven game slide, but that one shot should not overshadow just how horrible he has been the past month. The fact is that I could not find one regular starting forward who had as bad of a month as Ariza did in November, and one lucky shot does not make up for the glaring hole he has created for this team on the offensive end. If not for his contract, the fact that the team traded a fan favorite for him, and Kobe Bryant getting him a ring, I couldn’t imagine Ariza would still be starting for this team. And if you think I am being hard on the guy, go take a look around the league. I found one team that was getting less offensive production from their starting SF- the Cleveland Cavaliers, who just lost a guy who took his talents elsewhere.
Power Forward: David West vs. Andray Blatche
Advantage: Hornets
In a lot of ways Blatche is an inefficient, immature version of D West. He has a solid 17 footer and can score around the basket, but unlike West he doesn’t have an elite point guard to get him open shots and he lacks a high basketball IQ. Because of this, Wizards fans (and the Wizards coaching staff) have become increasingly frustrated with Blatche- to the point that he is rumored to be on the trading block.
West seems to be alright after rolling his ankle Wednesday against the Lakers, showing no ill effects against Boston on New Year’s Eve. West continues his best offensive season as a pro, and in addition to his efficient scoring, he has improved as a passer from the the high post and out of double teams down low.
Center: Emeka Okafor vs. JaVale McGee
Advantage: Hornets
Some have said that McGee is the second coming of Tyson Chandler and that the Hornets should try to find a way to land him so that a second Crescent City Connection can be formed. I will say that athletically, McGee is even more gifted than Chandler and offensively a CP3/McGee combo could be as deadly over time. The problem with McGee, however, lies on the defensive end. While he does block nearly two and a half shots a game, McGee is not nearly the post defender Chandler was and his missed rotations have cost Flip Saunders numerous timeouts this season. The guy just isn’t there yet mentally, although he is only 22 years old.
On the other end, Emeka Okafor has been playing amazing lately, averaging 15 and 11 over his last six games while also playing fantastic ball on the defensive end. If you take out the Lakers game, The Hornets have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 9 boards per game over the last 13 games and that has a lot to do with Okafor, who has been getting great position and has seemed to break the habit of leaving his feet too early when going up for rebounds.
Bench: Jarrett Jack, Willie Green, Marcus Thornton, Jason Smith vs. Josh Howard, Al Thornton, Hilton Armstrong, Cartier Martin, Yi Jianlian
Advantage: Even
The Wizards don’t have any real size or post up options coming off their bench (unless you consider the immortal Hilton Armstrong a threat) so I fully expect to see the Hornets go with their 3 guard lineup off the bench in this matchup. The problem is that this unit has played horrible on the road as of late, but they were embarressed by coach Monty Williams yesterday- being pulled after just two minutes in the fourth due to poor play. I expect them to come out with a new focus against a poor defensive team today and respond admirably.
For Washington, they lack a floor leader off the bench now that Kirk Heinrich is out with an injury. What they have on that unit is a couple of one-on-one players and shooters who don’t do a real good job of making their teammates any better. Martin and Al Thornton are both streaky offensive players who can get it going at any time. Otherwise, there isn’t much to worry about with this unit.
Other News and Notes:
– The Hornets haven’t won back-to-back road games since November 6th when they beat Milwaukee to reach 6-0. They also are 2-5 on the second night of a back-to-back, losing their last five such contests.
– Washington is cold as of late- shooting under 40 percent from the field in its last four games.
– Hornets are 1.5 point favorites and the over/under is set at 189.5. With the way the Wizards are shooting, combined with how well the Hornets defense played yesterday, and the fact that the Hornets are on a back to back, I say both teams have tough stretches offensively. Hornets 94 Wizards 87.
– After the Hornets win this game, I don’t want to see any cheesy comments about how we are undefeated this year. That was funny when I was seven, but that joke has become so played out that I cringe whenever it is made. If any of your loved one’s, co-workers, or friends make that joke this week, take off your glove, slap them across the face and challenge them to a friendly duel.
– Don’t look this up, just be honest and post your guesses below. Only four teams are averaging less points per game than the Hornets this year: Name them.
– And your last assignment- Please Caption this pic. I know my thoughts when I first saw it, I want to hear yours.
83 responses to “Game On: Hornets @ Wizards”
milwaukee,sacramento,err detroit, and umm washington
milwaukee, detroit, sacramento, and umm washington off the top of my head
Hawks, Pistons, Bucks, 76ers
Ladies, do I have at least one right…. Bing!
Ladies, do I have at least two right?….. Nothing.
1 out of 4
Who else wants to step up and guess? Don’t be shy, don’t be shy.
“Hilton, calm down. Take a few weeks off. We got this.”
LOL- I can see Flip saying that. Now to add onto it- why is the ref raising his hand?
Bucks, Bobcats, Kings and Cavaliers.
Bucks, Pistons, Cavs, Charlotte
Where in NOLA can we watch this? Its only on LP
Hilton: “Wait….. what do you mean I’m being traded? its the middle of the game? And why am i finding this out from the Referee? Ref u gos some splaining to do!”
Haha. Loved that Zwie.
What about the comments before the game?
Boston, Washington, Minnesota, Milwaukee.
“Hilton, if you don’t make the shot from there, then you get the E and I get the team, mwah ha ha!”
Jeeez!
EVERTIME somebody post a team we are playing as “one of the lowest…” etc, we get beat.
I wish all we would hear is how damaging a team is so our guys take to the floor with some energy.
This is like my trash talking when I play tennis….EVERY time I open my stupid mouth I get smacked.
As soon as it leaves my mouth I know I just did it.
caption: Confused as to why he was on the court, Wizards Center, Hilton Armstrong, approaches the ref to see if his team was really THAT bad.
Hilton, seeing the referee’s gesture, eagerly approaches to get the second high five of his career.
hahahaha
Hilton finishes with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 6 fouls, and a quality high five.
Hilton:
“What do you mean I fouled out?? I just entered the game!!”
My personal favorite- I can’t stop laughing.
LoL. Good one Max.
😀
Four Teams Guess: 1) Cavs 2) Pistons 3)Sacramento 4) Philadelphia
Caption:
Ref (mumbling as he is about to call a technical) “..feel….sorry…..Mama….”
Hilton replys ” What you say about my mama?, you feel sorry for who?”
Flip interjects, “Hilton, calm down please.. I know first hand jo mama is very proud of ju…I was with her last night”
Hahaha
okay I know Charlotte has to be one of them….
uhh, Pistons, Cavs, Hornets, Bobcats?
Oh and 76ers.
“the team traded a fan favorite for [Ariza]”
Are we talking about DC? Because I’d like to say he was more than a fan favourite.
I second that statement good fellow he is to me what lebron is to a lebron fanboy lol ;P
Oh and fun fact: the bench scored a total of 9 points yesterday on 3-15 shooting. Nevermind their limited minutes, because they were just that abysmal.
Pistons, Cavs, Kings, Nets
Warriors, Lakers, Magic, Knicks.
And you just assume we’re automatically wearing gloves, Mr. McNamara?
*already, not automatically lol
Milwaukee is one of them. Heard them mentioned when they played the Lakers last week.
I think its gotta be between these teams:
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Washington
Minnesota
New Jersey
Detroit
Sacramento
Charlotte
Now which 4… Umm… I’ll go Sacramento, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Milwaukee.
Caption: Wait, Hilton Armstrong is still in the NBA?
4 teams: Bobcats, Kings, Pistons, Raptors
I don’t care how ugly it comes..Just Get the W Fellas!!
My guess: Bucks, Raptors, Nets, Bobcats.
Did he just say 6th in 3’s ? attempts or percentage
Salvatore reffing? Ariza’s first shot airball? Oh no, this is going to be bad.
Well, Wall just picked up two quick fouls. That’s good.
Marcus is pressing a lot lately…
Bench shooting badly
Aaron Gray sighting! Our ball movement on the 2nd team is nonexistent.
Which is why it’s nice to see Gray in. He’s the best passer in the post we have for big men. In short time, he gets it high, dribbles out, and clears space for an open Jack jumper. Nice.
but the second team sucks at scoring!
thornton 0-3
smith 0-2
jack 1-4
green 0-2
gray 0-1
You noted his one decent play while leaving out the five horrible posessions. Offensive three seconds, offensive foul, foul that led to a 3 point play, horrible boxing it out on the defensive end that led to multiple offensive rebounds.
And he got a one on one stop down low. I’m not sure why we expect a guy Monty hasn’t used in weeks to come out crisp. The team other than his back to back fouls looked way better than with Mbenga. Once he gets his groove back, I think he’ll be a good second center.
I’m not happy with his play today, but he deserves some to see what is rust and what is real.
Is he being showcased, a la Peja?
And did the non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed last night? Or is Mbenga maybe gone? He’s listed as inactive, but that may be a partial truth. I have no idea about any of this.
Ugh. We are going to be last by the end of the season at this rate.
The bench has 4 points from 12 shots, and 2 of those are Marcus’ free throws. Jack had the lone field goal.
This was noted with 2:58 to go in the half.
ariza doing good tnight….
Congratulations to TCU!
Mek has been a beast lately! I’m loving it more than McDonald’s!
And, as I predicted, we will start seeing less and less of Marcus. Willie has had an equally unimpressive (probably worse) than Marcus, but here he is.
and he nails a 3 as I send that.
It looks to me that Quincy was the one feeling the pinch.
With 96 guard-minutes available, and 60 of those available to people-who-aren’t-Chris, we’d expect an average of 20m per game per guard when there are 3 other guards available, 15m per game per guard when there are 4 other guards available. So, if they are all equal, one would expect a drop of 5m a game across the board if all other guards are treated as equals.
So, Marcus’ minutes would have drop by more than, say, 8mpg, for it to really be an unfair drop in minutes. We should keep a close watch on the upcoming 4 or 5 games and see what’s happening. Reviewing his minutes just before Green’s departure and during his absence would help as wel.
David West is looking more and more like CP3.
good looking 3rd. Ariza comes alive then there’s the closing possession.
Teams: Warriors, Knicks, Bucks, Bobcats
Caption: Flip “Sorry Hilton, but we have decided to assign you to the D-League”
Hilton “C’mon, you could have at least waited till after the game”
Let’s hope Trevor maintains this type of offense for the rest of the ear
The Heat and Warriors almost scored as many points in a half as these two have in 3 1/4 quarters.
caption:Flip “you know Chris right? Get him to sign this for my wife…She’s a fan.”
And let the comments flow about how this guy might be worth taking Rashard Lewis…
look at my boy trevor 20 points 6 boards 4 steals
Wasn’t that above the rim still?
Wow, Ariza just slamming it over McGee, where did that come from?
I don’t know but I know that is something that Ariza is capable of so I’ve been wondering why we haven’t seen more of it this season.
Ariza with the posterizer!
Welcome to the party Marco!!!! WOOO!!!!
Ariza with one of the dunks of the year!
Think its safe to say to hornets got this one, if your not careful with that ball CP3 will snatch it away. Good job Hornets!
how good was trevor today??
Wow. Watching the game online. The Hornets look great in this second half. Looks like CP has decided that he is going to take this season over. Trevor is looking like a PHENOM out there. Belli just hit two 3 pointers in a row.
EXCELLENCE.
I say we just bench Belinelli and use him as our fourth quarter sniper. It’s like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.
Ariza =)
Trevor just ended the game with ANOTHER steal.
92-81
HORNETS!!!!!!!!!!!
Ariza come out come out wherever you are. More like this one please.
Well done, Bees. Well done.
I will say this though. For all the talk about needing a McGee or Chandler. Emeka has not been our problem in the past 2-3 weeks. If we got average production from our 2/3 spots night in night out, we would have a much better record than 20-14.
2 wins in a row on the road. Time to get rolling again!
Agreed. Monty needs to figure out that rotation / those matchups.
I’ll add to it that we need Quincy folded in more.
19 pts on 23 shots for the bench. 11 pts came from the line.
Jack had 12 pts on 8 shots, leaving 7 pts on 15 shots for the rest.
Trevor Ariza played like a boss!
I would LOVE to see more of that from him.
As I’ve stated for the past two seasons, we should have got McGee. Anyway, great win. Hats off to Ariza. Geux NOLA.
We should have gotten LeBron, Wade, Howard, Amare, and 10 other people.