The Hornets take the court again after a nice win on Sunday against the Kings. It’s been rough for the Hornets since the All-Star break but the win on Sunday could be a momentum changer. Everyone who played significant minutes looked good and it was nice to see the team step up their level of play when the game was close. But it was also the Kings so I’m not going to go overboard with it. But the Nets are in town tonight, and a win against the current 4th seed in the East could really show that the team is starting to turn a corner.
Three Things to Watch For
Will Davis Be Physical?
Davis surprised me with him play last week against the Bulls. Against Boozer and Noah he was physically over matched and I expected him to rely on his mid range jump shot often. However he seemed intent on trying to play a physical game on both offense and defense. Tonight he’ll be matched up against a physical group of bigs again. If Davis works hard in the paint and looks to grab tough rebounds, I’m going to be very pleased with his mindset for the future.
Play in the Paint
The Nets are mediocre at best defending shots taken within ten feet of the basket. They are also one of the top two teams at not allowing free throws. On the flip side of that, the Hornets are one of the worst teams in the league at getting to the line. I want to see Monty continue to build off the momentum of scoring 62 points in the paint on Sunday. The Hornets have a chance to win this game and getting to the line an extra handful of times would make the difference between a win and a loss.
Vasquez vs. Williams
I have a good feeling about Vasquez tonight. Deron Williams is not having a great season by his standards–especially on the defensive end. Vasquez has the potential to exploit Williams on the offensive end by driving into the paint and scoring off his no jump floater, dumping the ball off to Davis, or kicking it out to the perimeter. Defensively, if Vasquez can defend Williams well it’ll slightly change my opinion of what he can do on that side of the ball–and my outlook on keeping him in New Orleans longer.
2 responses to “Game On: Nets @ Hornets”
Brook Lopez has the same defensive issues that Robin Lopez does. I want to see a steady diet of Anthony Davis at center running pick and rolls against Brook.
Smash!
Loved the picture for the Nets. Can’t wait to see the Wizards!