Game Preview: Charlotte Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Charlotte Hornets have largely played .500 basketball since their first meeting with the Spurs last month. That was the game, of course, that would effectively end the 2021 iteration of the Rodeo Road Trip for health and safety protocols related to the COVID-19 virus, with the Spurs missing 4 games total as a team and for a handful of players even more than that. The Hornets would miss 2 contests of their own for the same protocols and have spent much of the last few weeks since then either picking up nail-biting wins or losing by double-digits.
That last point has been especially true on their current 5-game road trip, which they’ve started 0-3. All 3 losses, which have come against some of the best the West has to offer, have been by double digits, including a season-worst 27 point loss to the Clippers on Saturday night in which they were held to just 39% shooting from the field and only managed to muster 98 points. While players such as Gordon Hayward and rookie sensation LaMelo Ball continue to have great seasons, they have been mostly mediocre as a team, ranking 18th and 22nd in offensive and defensive rating, respectfully.
