10 Observations From Hornets @ 76ers 10/8/2014
I watched the Hornets game on an awful stream that made it impossible to distinguish between Marvin Williams, MKG, and Lance. It was a stupid preseason game with no real meaning and a disappointing defensive effort. But about 4 minutes into the game, it hit me. I was watching the Charlotte Hornets play basketball. I literally got chills. Not only was I watching the Charlotte Hornets, but I was watching a team that is relevant, now and in the future. I hope everyone else is as jacked up about this season as I am. Here are 10 things I saw in the game.
1. Let’s just get this out of the way. MKG’s shot is massively improved. It’s still in the discussion for the ugliest shots in the NBA, but it’s not THE worst. The question was if it would hold up in a game situation. I’m happy to report that yes, it did. There was a moment early in the game where he caught the ball on the wing, just inside the 3-point line, wide open. This was the moment. Would he have the confidence to launch it? Would his form break down again? He squared up, hesitated, and started dribbling left into the lane. Sad faces everywhere. Until out of nowhere, he plants, rises up, and nails a jumper over the outstretched hands of a defender.
MKG may never be a shooter. But having the confidence to take that shot influences the rest of his game. I’m curious to see if the aggressiveness he exhibited on offense tonight continues. 11 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover in 26 minutes? I think Coach Clifford can live with that.
2. The new guys struggled tonight. Lance was out of control much of the night. Marvin Williams couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, Brian Roberts was off all night, and PJ Hairston was looking to make a statement filling in for Henderson. Having said that, there was a lot to like. Lance is learning how to play with Kemba and Al Jefferson. That’s a big adjustment. I suspect things won’t really start to click until January. If they can hover around or right above .500 through then, I expect another strong second half to the season. The other guys will shoot better, which is all they’re really being asked to do.
3. Gary Neal: Flamethrower.
4. Bismack Biyombo is on thin ice right now. 1-4 from the field, more fumbled passes, and even got smoked by Brandon Davies in the post. The rebounding is still there, but when other guys are showing obvious improvement from last season, MKG and Cody Zeller in particular, it’s not a good look to be treading water.
5. Speaking of Cody, what a difference a summer makes. He was clearly playing at a better pace. He wasn’t getting ahead of himself, barreling into the defense. 2 plays in particular stood out to me. On one, he drove on the defender, came to a jump stop around the basket, and then kicked the ball out to a shooter on the other wing for a wide open 3 that missed. Later he drove left from the top of the key, drew in a defender, and kicked it out to the strong side wing for another wide open 3. I think Cody is going to be a really good passer as his career progresses and those skills showed in this game. Once he develops appropriate range he could be a very valuable piece.
6. Those purple jerseys really popped. Can’t wait to see the home court.
7. Coach Clifford has mentioned that he installed a very basic defense last season with more complexities to come. We saw one of those new wrinkles tonight. Philly was bringing the ball up with 10 seconds left in the quarter. Typically in this situation, the defense sits and waits for the offense to make a move, usually as the clock ticks under 5 seconds. In this instance, Clifford had Zeller sprint to the ball as soon as it crossed half-court to trap the ball-handler. Once the ball was picked up and moved, Zeller sprinted back to his man. It didn’t seem like they were trying to force a turnover so much as just disrupt the offense with the clock on their backs. It was an interesting way to leverage the speed and size of Zeller. Don’t expect to see Al Jefferson doing the same thing. This seems like a player specific assignment. It will be interesting to see if this is a tactic they continue to use, and what other players receive special defensive assignments like this.
8. Another game, another sick Kemba crossover pull-up jumper at the end of a quarter.
9. If you’ve ever been 30+ years old and tried to play a night of pick-up basketball after not playing for a couple months, then you’re probably like me and not worried one bit about Al Jefferson’s slow start.
10. I’m not particularly concerned with the half-court defense, which was putrid tonight. There needs to be more effort to get back in transition. It was way too easy for Philly tonight.
Preseason needs to be processed through the correct filter. San Antonio lost to Berlin Alba Berlin. Doesn’t matter a bit. If you’re worried about losing to the worst team in the league, don’t be. Just enjoy those jerseys and what lies ahead.