The Charlotte Hornets absolutely thrashed an injured Memphis Grizzlies team in their penultimate preseason game. It seems like this was the dress rehearsal game, the equivalent of the old third preseason game in football, based on the way the minutes were distributed. Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller both hit 30 minutes while LaMelo Ball played 28. If that was indeed the closest thing we’re going to see to real basketball before the regular season starts, the Hornets did a great job of teasing the fan base.
The game started at a frenetic pace with both teams hoisting quick shots and making both of them. Miles Bridges got things going for the Hornets with a very strong first quarter. Kon Knueppel added a couple of threes, and Moussa Diabate did his usual high motor stuff. The Grizzlies hit an ice age in the middle of the second quarter, and that helped the Hornets out to their first substantial lead of the game. The Hornets hit their own cold spell late in the half to let the Grizzlies claw back, but they still had a comfortable working margin heading into the second half.
The second half was a Hornets showcase. They clamped down the Grizzlies in the third quarter and scored 19 straight points to blow the game wide open. After a quiet first half, LaMelo found his rhythm in the third quarter to contribute to a large portion of that run. Ryan Kalkbrenner also made his presence felt on both ends of the floor. With the Hornets cruising to a win, we got a little razzle dazzle near the end of the main rotation players’ minutes.
It was a glorious game to watch.
The Good
If nothing else, the Hornets should be a good offensive team this season. They have so many guys that can dibble, pass, and shoot, and that was on full display last night. Players one through four brought the ball up the floor, especially after misses, and pushed the pace. They hit 40% of their threes on high volume but also still managed to get to the free throw line 30 times. That’s how you play efficient basketball. Beyond the production, the play style was aesthetically pleasing too. The pace was good. The ball movement was good. The shot profile was good. It was all good.
Melo, Miller, and Miles all scored over 20 points. That trio can be a problem to guard, especially with the pieces that the front office has surrounded them with going into the season. Miles was a force in the first half while LaMelo did almost all of his damage in the second. Miller was a sort of steady eddy throughout the game. The three combined for 19 assists as well.
Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner might be a passable pairing. You can see Kalkbrenner getting more and more comfortable with each possession, and he looked pretty bothersome defending the interior. Moussa is always going to Moussa, and he did his usual thing grabbing 13 rebounds (9 offensive) off the bench. The Grizzlies struggled to score inside the arc, and that’s thanks in no small part to those two.
All of the Hornets rookies look good. Sion James probably won’t play much, but you can see the defensive doggedness he brings when he’s on the floor. Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley are both known as shooters, but both have shown a lot more to their games already. Knueppel made a couple really nice reads in the pick and roll, and McNeeley jumps out with his hustle and tenacity in loose ball situations. He also was very good attacking closeouts in this game in particular.
Collin Sexton is going to be so nice to have as an extra shot creator. He and Tre Mann are going to be a problem coming off the bench.
The Bad
The Grizzlies made 26 threes, which is bad. However, they shot just 42% inside the arc and only shot 10 free throws. The Hornets will probably feel like they can win a lot of games with opponents sporting that kind of scoring profile.
What’s Next
The Hornets have one more preseason tune-up on Friday against the Knicks. The regular season opener will come five days later against the Brooklyn Nets.