The Hornets welcomed back Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers with a win at home.
Two nights removed from posting their lowest point total ever, the Hornets rebounded nicely against the Bobcats. Honestly, that was a lot of fun. 100 points! While the Hornets played a very well rounded game, the story of the night was Anthony Davis. I could wax rhapsodic about him for the whole recap. Seriously, it was that good. The difference he makes for the Hornets when he’s on the court is tremendous. But there were other contributors as well. Let’s do this…
Team Notes
-The first thing that I really noticed was that the Hornets took much better control of the ball tonight. After having 24 turnovers on Wednesday the Hornets cut that number down to 9. Off those 9 turnovers the Bobcats only scored 9 points. Part of this is due to Davis and how quickly he can get back on defense.
-The other stat that really jumps out at me is 29 assists on 43 shots. That’s over 67% (I used a calculator). That really shows how involved everyone was on the offensive end tonight.
Player Notes
-The Hornets need to run a promotion where a fan shoves Anthony Davis before every game. Towards the end of the first half, Davis got into a bit of an altercation with Byron Mullens. And it awoke a beast. Davis just did everything tonight. On offense he was active and moving well. He showed some range on his jumper and a lot of finesse moving in between defenders in the paint.
Defensively, Davis was everything we thought he’d be when he was drafted. He finished with 5 blocks and showed his athleticism on a block with 4:53 left in the 2nd quarter when he closed out on a shooter out by the perimeter. He also showed much improvement with his defensive rotations. There were multiple times where he had to slide on defense to cover the pick and roll, and he did very well with that tonight.
On the night he finished with only 2 fouls. For a guy who flies all over the place on defense and seems involved with everything, it’s impressive how he controls his body movements to avoid sending shooters to the line.
-Brian Roberts also had an excellent game. I’m not on the bandwagon yet, but with a couple more games like this I might consider getting on. Roberts has a nice mid-range floater which he broke out a bunch tonight. Add in 8 assists and the Hornets might have themselves a decent backup point guard this season
-Ryan Anderson is awesome. What a pickup by Dell Demps.
-Robin Lopez started off strong in the first quarter but faded as the game went on. He’s a solid contributor to the team but needs to keep up his production through all four quarters. Offensively, he is patient when he gets the ball and doesn’t try and rush his offense. However, the only real post move he has is a baby hook shot. If he adds another move or two it would really elevate his game.
-Aminu kept of his level of play though he did struggle with fouls. Offensively, Aminu is pulling a bit of a smoke and mirrors routine on the court. Almost all of his makes are right under the basket or off lobs to him. He still doesn’t have a good jump shot or mid-range game. Adding that would make him a much more complete player. Aminu did have a nice play in transition where he drew contact and then nailed a jumper for the and 1.
-Rivers didn’t light the box score on fire, but I think he played a good game overall. He wasn’t trying to over extend himself on offense and did his best to just play a part in what the Hornets were doing. For his development currently, I think that’s perfect.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments and on twitter @nolajake and @hornets247.
35 responses to “Hornets Shake Off Wednesday’s Loss and Beat the Bobcats 107 to 99”
Roberts had a really nice split tonight and finished w/ a floater. Played well on offense. After his first floater, the defense started flying to him when he got to that spot, and he actually missed two backdoor cuts (1 by Aminu). If the D collapses that much on his floater, I’d like to see him find Aminu/others on a lob. On defense, he still gets exploited. But if that’s what he’s going to give us as a backup, I’ll be happy.
Anderson is such a big-time player.
Anthony Davis continues to amaze me with how confident he is in quick shots near the basket. Boy, is he going to be good.
Still confused why Monty gave Smith only 5 minutes. I love seeing him on the floor w/ Anderson.. so many spacing opportunities. Eric Gordon would clean up with those guys on the floor with him
Still confused why Monty gave Smith only 5 minutes.
The radio guys seemed to think it was because the sore finger made ball handling problematic.
Ah, thanks for the info. Was worried about that
Some down notes:allowed 99 points,
allowed 30 in 4Q,
allowed 28 in 2Q,
out-rebounded,
out-stolen,
out-blocked.
Changing topics: did Dell Demps sleep with one of the referees’ wives or something, to not get any calls in all 5 games? Even the Bobs get more respect.
You should delete the parts of the podcats where you guys said Roberts needs to get on a bus and go home. Jeeesssh let the man play more than 3 games before you pass judgment on a player’s entire career. Brutal. Instead of him hopping on a bus maybe you should hop on the BRob bandwagon as noted!
Remember that they played against the no-defense Bobkittens.
So, every time a guy Ryan or I says is a bad player has a good game, we are going to be asked to come on and apologize or “remove it from the podcast?”
It was one game, and while I think Ryan might have been a little harsh on the podcast, I will bet anyone that Roberts has 3 times as many bad games as games like he had tonight as the season goes on.
If you just want to be told that every Hornet is good, then I am sure there is a site that does that, but it is not fair to the guys who really are good players to do that in my opinion. In order to have great NBA players, you have to have bad ones- that’s the way it works. No dark without light, no large without small. The NBA must have bad players and the Hornets are not immune to this. And bad players have good games from time to time, but we are not going to remove a label from a guy because of one good game in which he made a couple of floaters but was poor on defense and couldn’t avoid being trapped on hard hedges.
Now, if Roberts is still in the league in three years, then Ryan owes him an apology, but I highly doubt that is the case.
I think the problem is passing judgement on players without seeing them play in a significant number of NBA games with the Hornets, especially when we have a strong front office with a track record finding ‘diamonds in the rough’. This currently applies to Roberts and Lopez.
If you guys would say he hasn’t shown me X or Y yet, we would be fine with that. But to extrapolate to ‘bad signing’ or ‘will never belong in the League’ from almost zero NBA games with the Hornets is unsubstantiated and possibly even foolish. In the end you all just lose creditability.
(Being right doesn’t change anything. A broken clock is right twice a day. The problem is your methodology.)
Fair critique- I will keep that in mind, but it is not like Lopez or Roberts is new to the planet. Our evaluation (especially mine with Lopez) has a lot of data behind it, not the 5 games he has played for us. The data shows that Lopez projects to be a worse player than Smith, Davis, and Anderson this year and that was the basis of the argument, not 1 or 2 or 3 games.
If anything, my evaluation is more balanced with a more wide range of evidence, while those asking Ryan or I to apologize are guilty of reacting to insignificant data. If Roberts numbers look good when the data is signifiant, then obviously Ryan was right. However, if people would like negative information distilled more gently, I think we can do that from time to time
Pretty scary thinking about what this team will be like when Gordon comes back.
Honestly I think if Eric Gordon were healthy and Aminu continued to play this well we’d be a playoff team.
Also, is it farfetched to predict that Davis will be one of the top three if not the best power forward in the league by the end of his sophomore season?
Silly man. EG is healthy. Sending him to L.A. for “personalized rehabilitation” was the polite way of telling him to go away and not let his softness affect real men.
More thoughts:
One non-superstar will never beat you. Thus, I wasn’t worried.
The bench guards’ scored 21 on 8/11 shooting.
Roberts played 30 minutes and RMjr 15. Would any Southwestern Division team allow him to play that well? Remember how bad he played against the 76ers?
What was the deal with Kidd-gilchrist over reacting? Anthony continues to impress with how mature he is, I personally liked that he shoved mullens the dude was riding him up the court. What do you all think can scrapers get inside Davis’ head?
Nice to see Ryan Anderson break out. Honestly, this game wouldn’t have even been close had Ben Gordon not channeled his inner 2006 and dropped 35 on us (bet it doesn’t happen again this season). Some of the shots he was hitting were ridiculous. BTW, Rivers EASILY played the best defense on Gordon all night. He made him work for his shots and multiple times got him to pick up his dribble or pass off while jumping in the air. The kid stepped up. I’m pretty sure Gordon could have gone for 45-50 without him.
This team is constructed so well it makes me giddy. Great game. Great night.
My only complaint with the game is with Robin Lopez. That guy HAS to find a way to contribute when the offense isn’t being run through him. He is so bad at pick and roll defense I was about to have a heart attack at the beginning of the 3rd. While I don’t want Jason Smith to be injured, that is the only plausible explanation for him not getting more minutes. Oh and against teams without real centers, Anderson and Davis should both be on the court as much as possible, they are fantastic on the floor together.
What makes you think Roberts is a bad player? (In this case, Mike is saying that they say Roberts is a bad player) How would you label a player as a good player or a bad player? It should not be that easy to label someone as bad. I think that is the problem. Do you think Roberts may be considered a good player off the bench? Do you think Robin Lopez is a bad player? Feels like we should give them sometime before making quick judgements, good or bad! 🙂 It is too early. No need to apologize. 🙂
So here is how I see it personally.
Players have traits, skills, and habits and those are the things I observe when watching to determine whether they fall in the top 30% of the league (good players by definition) or the bottom 30% of the league (bad players by definition).
For example with Roberts, when he goes around the pick in the pick and roll, his head is down as he dribbles, so he does not see the floor. CP3, meanwhile, has his head up and can see the entire floor.
So, there may be nights in which Roberts goes crazy and has a stat line like this but over the course of 82 games, that habit of his will ensure he has far more bad games than good- making him a bad player. Not a bad person. Not a player who doesn’t try to be good. Just a bad player relative to the best in the world.
There are 450 NBA players, and 120 or so are going to be ‘bad’ every year. Ryan said Roberts is the definition of a replacement player in our podcast, meaning that if the Hornets just let him go immediately, they would have no problem finding a similar player and I don’t see how this one game proves him wrong.
ISTR that JSmith was one leg out of the league when he arrived here. Maybe there’s no player development in Europe?
Great performance and all, Roberts is our backup PG, and his playmaking ability is almost nonexistent. He continually fails to deliver the correct pass to open teammates.
On the defensive end, he’s more of a liability than Vasquez.
Sorry, but I’ll never be on the Roberts bandwagon.
Return the joy, not a quantum leap from 80 to score more than 100 points, but the quantum leap can also consider qualitative? Can not really be answered with reference to this question is different kittens 76’sa ronroneados of Charlotte, the first is an athletic team, fast playing good defense, the latter a team with inexperienced players midrange the worst defense in the league, a team inexperienced us with a great coach, with balanced midrange players, what it lacks one solves its parts, plus a superstar full complement growth in Davis, unless a star divismo with problems and lack of commitment in Gordon, which prefer this team away, one bad apple can damage all the basket, and a player that other, Mason, this is our Hornets radiography, make no mistake.
If you want to be a postseason team, we have to keep improving, we need a committed Gordon, or find a substitute in any change, when you return if your return or upon market substitute, Mason disappear from the team’s payroll, thus simple, the equipment will remain the best defenses in the league as it is today, and we will have about 20 additional annotations game that will make us a tough team to beat, heading into the playoffs.
Regarding last night, they played well, we could deploy our offense a little better, with contributions from players like Roberts, very good night shooting and passing, though, acosta defensive when Greivis Vasquez analyzed to explain them.
Best of the night:
As a team, low turnovers, that means more juice criterion is to move the ball. As a guy, Davis, this extraordinary guy, in one to two years, will be the best in the league at his position and if he stays healthy physically, mentally focused, the book went into the top of the story, I have no doubt This, gentlemen are seeing a 19-year playing as an adult, with exceptional physical and technical subtleties and learned so young, for him, the sky is the limit, in two years will be a combo player, what have everything last night, 50% field goal, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists, 23 points, that more can be asked, is 19, when you have 24, 20-rebound night will, continue its blocks, 6 assists and spool give 30 points or more, a Super Star.
Students also have to recognize the contribution of Amino and Lopez, great defense, great shooting percentages without abusing them.
From the bench, Anderson, hiso to what was brought to us with his shot points to 3, just last night took advantage of a weak defense, hence poking launches 15 points to 3 for 50% and 25 round points. Similarly Roberts.
The downside of the Night:
Greivis Vasquez ….. if sorprice I mostly defending his praiser of writers around here, last night was a disaster offensively, he never will be a great scorer, not a great shooter, but in an average shooter, and the defense of the kittens there excuses, a dismal 10% from the field, sometimes the child suffers from …….. Mr. Vasquez you’re already a third-year player, anyone can have a bad night with their shots, if you have a bad night then you do not throw 10 times to get one, is dedicated to being a PG, is dedicated to providing assistance to peers provide all the points you can not get that night, his 8 assists very acceptable, if he had not missed so many shots, had had more minutes on court, and had given a 12 assists, and his bad night had turned into a good game, but no, he started shooting like crazy, like a murderer of those crazy people who get into a movie theater or in a college classroom shooting indiscriminately, killing his game, a game that you both appreciate.
The other bad note, Rivers and Mason, 2 has none of the NBA offense, Rivers is coming just have to give it time, Mason has no talent, not in this league, but if something brings Rivers is his defense, but last night Gordon step above them, he was playing against a child, and that was the truth, 34 points on your face.
Does not everyone observes:
Roberts and will continue to be an excellent replacement for Vasquez, has a decent offense and a hot night can give us those 16 points last night, the man somewhat limited in driving, not even half of the game vision Vasquez from there you can not sit, and what is worse, from there it’s a bench player, not defend, Vasquez does not defend much and I can defend due to his size for a PG, but that aspect of Roberts game is zero, the ratio Vasquez regarding your brand in reference to points, assists was +9, Kemba Walker, a scorer of 20 or more points, with Vasquez in court could only get 3 points, a basket of 2 more Additional 14% field goal …. With Roberts, Walker saved his night with 8 additional points, his shooting percentage up to 57% …. there have the explanation of why 99 points against a team that plays defense for 80 points …. The answer is that Roberts gave us 16 points and as a result we scored 107 points, but such contributions with his defense we group contained 99 against, which is why we never will own here or anywhere else in the NBA, he never guaranteed 16 points per night, but if many points against when in court …. Its function is to rest Vasquez, and freeing the latter when he bent on defense and feel cramped lot of pressure to move your ball going into court for the computer game with two PG, but no, that is their job and Monty Williams is quite clear.
The Future:
PG Greivis Vasquez, SG Gordon or his replacement market, Al-Farouq Aminu SF, PF Davis, C. Lopez
Banking
PG Roberts, SG Rivers, Miller SF, PF Anderson, PF Smith
PLAYOFF TEAM.
tl;dnr
I’m not ready to extend aminu just yet. He’s looked great but that could be because he’s been told that he’s a 21-22 year old formerly drafted in the top 10 at a position the hornets are weak in and on a rebuilding team, but you’re not good enough to keep around. If this is the case and he’s playing like its his last game every night, he’ll burn out by midseason and we’ll know. If he’s still playing like this 50 games into the season, i’ll jump on board and say extend him. Until then, it’s great to watch him, but no extension yet. If we do resign him, I’d love to see him next offseason develop something resembling a mid-range shot. It’s painful right now to watch him take those.
Well not everybody said That Anthony Davis would be a game changer and make a All Star impact on the Hornets team offensively.
Actually one person said tha Anthony Davis is overly hyped and said that Detroit’s C- Drummond was a better player and have a better impact this season and even have a better career!
Lmao, roll call please…..
“DaThrone”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Kh7nLplWo
I think Aminu is coming into his own consistently. I think he’s realizing that his strength is his defense and that’s where he’s maturing. As long as his defense is good coach will keep him around – hoping that his offense will catch up. We rely so heavily on the comeback of EG becaue of his ability to score (which is lacking on this team). Austin is struggling with his shot and I don’t see him having a breakout this year. He will improve with distributing the ball because I think coach, his staff and his Dad are going to make sure of it. However, I like coach so much better (his demeanor) when he’s just talking about the team and not EG. He always seems so uptight, tentative and guarded when addressing EG. I kind of get the feeling that he wants EG gone. Is is just me????
Why is it that Roberts is so polarizing? the kid can fly out play..I hate reading comments to the contrary after 3 freakin games! and on top of that, from people who’ve probably never played the game before..coming from many of the people who were singing his praises, thinking he should start just 2 weeks ago..can a guy have a bad game? It’s puzzling to me..you can’t be “statistical” in any way on such a small sample size..give these kids a chance
Looking at the kids resume, not bad..college: finalist for Cousy, Wooden, Naismith awards..pro: 3 time European champ..good pedigree..
Honestly those things really don’t matter, what matters is you don’t play in an NBA game if you don’t matter..the fact that Monty and Dell like him speaks volumes..Monty believes in him..look closely at how they run plays when Roberts is in..it’s essentially for him to make a play..if the defender goes under the screen, he’s going to pull up and shoot..trust me, Monty gives the kid a green light for that scenario, he’s too good of a shooter..the other guards don’t have that type of game..
Enough of me rambling, I like this team..I actually like the Vasquez/Roberts backcourt combo..I think Monty may go this route more if Rivers continues to struggle
GO HORNETS!
I like your comment, despite the fact that these are glimpses against my opinion, I am 100% agree with your words last paragraph ….
Gold Uni=Win. Davis is a beast. When he is on the floor and Anderson is hitting shots, we will be hard to beat. Great effort. Glad to see Aminu continue his solid season and Dayton have a break out game. This really helped wash the taste of last game outta my mouth. Geaux Hornets.
Okay, I’d like to address something different from the game.
We REALLY need to get our attendance numbers up! I feel so embarrassed and terrible for our players who work so hard and are playing so well, just to look up to see so many empty seats. I’ve only gone to one game so far, so it’s people like me who need to step up, but please try to spread the word about these games! But wasn’t there word that said our season ticket sales were at around 14,000?? iddkk man. But let’s get the arena packed and loud!
The pictures show many empty seats at the New Orleans Arena. It’s absolutely deplorable.
http://www.hornets247.com/2012/09/29/counterpoint-on-2012-2013-attendance-projections/
Now, here’s why attendance is bad.
Tell me why you think attendance should be better and what can be done about it. If `just go’ was the answer, then all the teams would be in 1,000,000 seat venues.
Mere complaining is not acceptable in the long run. Let’s talk, let’s analyze, let’s solve. Or let’s wait for the winning to improve the attendance.
Decide.
The record for ticket sales was achieved, but the people stay home and don’t go to the games. This is very strange. Anyway, we’ll need as many Anthonys Davis for fans supporting the team?
If someone wants to buy a ticket and not go, that’s well-within their right.
If the tickets were sold out and many people were looking for tickets but couldn’t get them because of it, that may be a little reprehensible, but at this point the people buying tickets and not going are helping, not hurting, relative to not buying and not going.
All of you are in for a treat watching Roberts. He went from average in College as a 2 Guard, to one of the best points in the county. He went from a average player in Germany to leading his team to championships in the top euro league. This kid will not be CP3, but he will do the same thing he has always done, he will get better and better. And the kid can flat out shoot. He will be a very good point guard for the Hornets in time. May even be a started later this year. I will be back later in the year to tell ya all ‘told you so’