Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Game Preview
The season is finally at its end. 81 games played, one to go. The Charlotte Hornets (26-55) will be hitting the road one last time to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30).
The Hornets are locked into the fourth-worst record in the NBA and the Cavaliers are locked into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, so both teams are expected to sit many of their starters for the matchup.
Although many of the veterans on both sides will be sitting, it appears that the opportunity for coveted rookie Mark Williams to have a bit of run against the strong front-court pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is still in play. The minutes likely won't be huge, but one last chance to watch the young big gain some valuable experience before the season comes to a close will be worth watching for.
Other youngsters like Bryce McGowens, Nick RIchards, JT Thor, Kai Jones, and Theo Maledon will be on the court and looking to leave a strong lasting impression heading into an offseason that is sure to have many reformations.
2022-23 Team Leaders:
Minutes: Donovan Mitchell - 35.8 (CLE), Terry Rozier - 35.3 (CHA)
FG%: Jarret Allen - 64.5% (CLE), Mark Williams - 62.7% (CHA)
3FG%: Darius Garland - 41.0% (CLE), Svi Mykhailiuk - 43.0% (CHA)
PPG: Donovan Mitchell - 28.3 (CLE), Terry Rozier - 21.1 (CHA)
RPG: Jarret Allen - 9.9 (CLE), Mark Williams - 7.0 (CHA)
APG: Darius Garland - 7.8 (CLE), Terry Rozier - 5.1 (CHA)
SPG: Donovan Mitchell - 1.5 (CLE), Dennis Smith Jr. - 1.4 (CHA)
BPG: Evan Mobley - 1.5 (CLE) , PJ Washington - 1.1 (CHA)
Stat key: PPG - points per game | RPG - rebounds per game | APG - assists per game | SPG - steals per game | BPG- blocks per game
Cavaliers roster
PG: Darius Garland (OUT), Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto
SG: Donovan Mitchell (OUT), Caris LeVert (OUT), Cedi Osman
SF: Isaac Okoro (OUT), Lamar Stevens, Danny Green
PF: Evan Mobley, Dean Wade, Mamadi Diakite
C: Jarret Allen (DTD), Robin Lopez
Head coach: J.B. Bickerstaff
Hornets roster
PG: Terry Rozier (OUT), Dennis Smith Jr. (OUT), Theo Maledon, Kobi Simmons, James Bouknight
SG: Kelly Oubre Jr. (OUT), Svi Mykhailiuk, Bryce McGowens,
SF: Gordon Hayward (OUT), Bryce McGowens
PF: P.J. Washington (OUT), JT Thor, Kai Jones
C: Mark Williams, Nick Richards
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