Courtesy of Keith Allison
Kemba Walker
The Charlotte Hornets sit at 34-39 and are coming closer and closer to missing the playoffs with each passing day. More and more teams are clinching playoff spots, with the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers all having clinched four of the eight available eastern conference playoff spots.
That would usually leave four more spots available, but the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons are all close to clinching the fifth, sixth and seventh spots. They will all likely succeed, unless one of those teams loses a good portion of its remaining games. That leaves the Hornets, along with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Hornets did look dead in the water at 31-39, but have recently surged back and won three in a row, including wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves along with the Celtics and Raptors. The Raptors win was highlighted by a mind-blowing Jeremy Lamb buzzer beater from half court.
Guards:
Star guard Kemba Walker is continuing his career year with only nine games left in the season, and perhaps his Hornets career. Speculation runs amok with Walker’s unrestricted free agency upcoming, but the guard has not let this phase him as he is averaging a strong 25 points a game, along with 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Walker has been the heart and soul of the Hornets’ playoff push.
Jeremy Lamb was moved to a bench role, where he is typically most effective and has had great success. Along with his big game-winner over the Raptors, Lamb boasted 21- and 26-point outings within his last five games, and is averaging 16 points per game in the month of March. March also marked his second-highest minutes per game average this season, behind December.
Shelvin Mack was signed by the Hornets after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, and promptly being waived by the Hawks. Mack was signed as insurance to veteran guard Tony Parker, but has only played in three games so far. This is because rookie guard Devonte’ Graham is also capable of playing the backup role, and recorded a solid 10 points and nine assists in a tough win over the Raptors.
Forwards:
Rookie forward Miles Bridges has been phenomenal for the Hornets and has moved to the starting lineup. He has posted 11, 20 and 16 points in his last three games, which coincidentally were also huge wins for the Hornets.
Frank Kaminsky was shopped around at the trade deadline and then became a whispered buyout candidate, meaning that his contract would have been bought out by the club and he would have been free to sign with any team. However, Kaminsky has rejoined the rotation as of late and has been useful in pushing the Hornets near the playoffs. In the month of March, Kaminsky has averaged 11.8 points per game with 20-point and 18-point showings, as well as averaging 21.8 minutes and 4.3 rebounds per game and shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. If his career resurgence continues, it would be a welcome addition to the Hornets’ blossoming young core.
Centers:
Center Cody Zeller is missing time yet again for the Hornets with a nagging knee injury, having now missed seven in a row. Backup center Bismack Biyombo starts and only plays about 13 minutes a game, while young center Willy Hernangomez and Kaminsky then take on the rest of the center workload.
Hernangomez has continued to impress, having posted 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the team’s miraculous win over the Raptors, and has posted a crazy 18.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, .9 blocks and only 2.5 turnovers per-36 minutes. Hernangomez has also been efficient, and has shown the capability to hit from beyond the arc.
Looking ahead:
The Hornets have one of the hardest remaining schedules in the league. They have to take a west coast trip that starts with a game against the Lakers, then is followed with games against Golden State and Utah, both of which are playoff teams. After the trip, the Hornets have to take on both the Raptors and the Magic at home. The Magic game is the last of the season and could potentially determine the eighth seed. Alternatively, it could have no meaning at all if the Miami Heat, who have won seven of their last 10, clinch before the game.
The combined record of teams that the Hornets take on to close the season is 343-321, or a winning percentage of .517. The teams that the Hornets take on at home have an away record of 49-59, or a winning percentage of .454, which is good because the Hornets have a home record of 23-15. The Hornets only play three more games at home, however.
The Hornets will have to change their fortunes for their six upcoming away games because of their 11-24 road record. The home record of the teams the Hornets have to play on the road is a combined 123-96, or a winning percentage of .562. This is despite the number being brought down by the puny Cleveland Cavaliers, who are just 13-25 at home. It is possible that clinched teams will rest players, but the Hornets should not bank on this. Even if teams like the Raptors rest players, they are still formidable opponents because of their depth.
*This article was written and published before the results of games on March 26 were available.