Charlotte Hornets: New Year, New Team
By Jon Shames
The Charlotte Hornets were arguably the NBA’s most disappointing team in 2014. After what was considered a fantastic offseason, the new-look Charlotte squad was primed for a run at a top spot in the Eastern Conference.
It just didn’t pan out that way.
A messy 2014 that saw the Hornets win just 10 games left them buried deep in the standings, and when injury struck the Hornets’ stars, the future started to look even murkier than it already had.
But somehow, even without Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson, the Kemba-Walker-led Charlotte Hornets made a miraculous comeback when 2015 came around, winning six of their seven games in 2015.
And now, with Walker set to miss some time and Jefferson and Stephenson back, the strong push to the eighth seed has continued after the Hornets picked up two consecutive Kemba-less wins — one a tough and ugly one over the Pacers, and one a blowout against the Timberwolves.
The Hornets’ schedule during the hot streak hasn’t been too rigorous, but seven wins in eight games is nothing to shake a stick at, no matter how good (or bad) the opposition is.
But can this Charlotte club keep it going until April?
This is, after all, the same team that lost 10 games in a row in November. It’s the same team that has made Hornets fans pull their hair out every other night. It’s the same team that has let its fans, owner, and city down time after time.
Or is it?
It appears that the Hornets have taken their New Year’s resolution quite seriously, and the squad has relegated that forgettable 2014 to a thing of the past and nothing more. There’s been a new approach to defense, making the team look similar to the 2013-14 Charlotte Bobcats, a 43-win club (good for a seventh seed).
In fact, the Hornets play on the that end of the floor has been so good that their defense is now back in the NBA’s top 10, after hovering around 15th for most of the season. Charlotte is allowing just 98.2 points per game, a mark better than that of Houston, Chicago, and Golden State. In that category, Charlotte trails Memphis by just 0.3 points per game.
Perhaps equally important is the Hornets’ ranking in Hollinger’s defensive efficiency category: Charlotte ranks 10th, edging out Memphis and once again, Chicago.
Part of the reason behind the impressive turnaround has been the adjustment made to Charlotte’s starting lineup, moving Bismack Biyombo into the first unit.
Biyombo is the antithesis of Al Jefferson (excellent defense, mediocre offense), and it was expected that a offense-deprived team like Charlotte would struggle without the low-post scoring Jefferson provided, but Biyombo has more than held his own since his number was called.
In January, Biyombo has played 26.6 minutes per game, and has averaged 6.1 points and 9.3 rebounds. He started to pick up steam offensively in the last few contests, posting two consecutive double-doubles in a combined 50 minutes.
A scoring average just north of six points per game isn’t much, but the Hornets didn’t need Biz to be everything Jefferson was offensively, they needed him to bring energy and toughness to the table to fuel what had been a mediocre defense.
In this respect, he didn’t disappoint one bit. Biyombo has averaged 1.6 blocks per game, but has been doing the non-statistical things as well, rotating properly and altering countless shots each night.
The Hornets have gotten away with putting Biyombo at center because they’ve had plenty of scoring around him, most of which has come from should-be All-Star Kemba Walker. Averaging 27.0 points per game in January, Walker has been an essential part of the Hornets turnaround.
With most of the shot attempts going to him (instead of being evenly distributed between him and Jefferson), the Hornets have been able to push the ball up the court, controlling the pace of the game.
Unfortunately, with Jefferson, it’s tough to do the same. He’s too slow to get out in transition, and has trouble getting back on defense when the tempo picks up. When Jefferson goes into the game, he’s going to get his shot opportunities the way he wants them, and that could hurt the Hornets.
With that said, the Hornets’ offensive efficiency hasn’t been anything special, even sans Al Jefferson, so perhaps his re-integration won’t hinder the Hornets’ attack as much as some are predicting.
In the time that Jefferson has missed, the Hornets have become an entirely new-look team. Bringing him back into the lineup may be a bit forced considering the success they’ve had with their up-tempo style, but if and when the Hornets do make the postseason, having someone like Jefferson in the game is going to be crucial to make any sort of noise.
The Charlotte Hornets have got major momentum. Hopefully, they’re strong enough to drag the 280-pound Jefferson with them down the path to that coveted eighth seed.