Charlotte Hornets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Game Preview
The Hornets will debut their 2022-2023 city jerseys tonight against a red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves team, who has won their last five games. The Hornets broke their five-game home losing streak last game with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. It was just the second home win of the season for the hornets. Charlotte are 2-6 at home this season and Minnesota is 5-3 on the road. Last season, these teams split the season series 1-1, with both winning on their home floor. It will be an earlier start time for this game as tip-off will be at 5:00 PM EST.
The Hornets sit in the 14th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 5-14 record. They've dealt with a multitude of injuries over the course of the season so far. That will still be the case as the team will be without LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin, and Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Smith Jr sprained his left ankle in the second quarter in Wednesday's win over the 76ers. I'm sure that Dennis would've loved to play tonight as he will be celebrating his 25th birthday. Look for Theo Maledon and James Bouknight to get more run with Dennis Smith Jr and LaMelo Ball unavailable. Gordon Hayward returned this past Sunday from his shoulder injury and has not looked remotely close to healthy since returning. Hayward is listed as questionable for tonight's contest. If Hayward is unable to go, look for Kai Jones to get extended run and Jt Thor to get back into the rotation.
Let's take a look at the Hornets' opponent tonight in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have certainly been a roller-coaster ride this season. In the summer, they made a huge move to acquire three time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves struggled at the start of the season leading to a disappointing 5-8 record. Since then, the Timberwolves have won five straight games to get to 10-8. Many still question the fit of Karl Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, but for now it appears that they've started to figure out how to play together. Anthony Edwards lead the team in scoring with 21.9 points per game. Edwards has not had the season that many expected him to have heading into the season. Jaden McDaniels has been terrific for Minnesota this season, as he's averaging around 12 points per game, while being their best defender. D'Angelo Russell has had a rough start to his season, as he's only averaging 13.9 points per game on 31.4% shooting from three. The Timberwolves are 7-1 when holding their opponent under 110 points.
What to Watch for:
The rebound battle: Surprisingly, the Hornets are 6th in the NBA in rebounds per game, but with the Timberwolves' size it might be hard to contain them on the boards. The boards will definitely be a huge key to the game for the Hornets, in their quest to win their second game in a row. It will also be a good test for Nich Richards, who will be facing off against two top centers in the league.
Jalen McDaniels vs Jaden McDaniels: Both Jalen and Jaden McDaniels have both played very well for their teams' this season. Jaden has started in all 18 of the Timberwolves' games thus far and Jalen McDaniels has been the Hornets' 6th man for the 18 out of the 19 games he's come off the bench. It's always cool to see brother's go at it in the NBA, so it should be fun to watch these two face off.
The point guard matchup: Both Terry Rozier and D'Angelo Russell have struggled shooting the ball this season. This will be a key matchup to watch for, as the point guard's play is very crucial to how well the team plays. Russell definitely has the help from his teammate's, so this is a matchup that Rozier must win for the Hornets to have a chance in this game.
INJURY REPORT:
CHA:
LaMelo Ball: OUT
Dennis Smith Jr: OUT
Cody Martin: OUT
Gordon Hayward: QUESTIONABLE
MIN:
Taurean Prince: OUT
Jordan McLaughlin: OUT
Kyle Anderson: QUESTIONABLE
KEY NOTES:
CHA:
- 6th in RPG
- 23rd in PPG
- 15th in TOV
- 28th in FG%
- 28st in 3PM
MIN:
- 11th in RPG
- 12th in PPG
- 27th in TOV
- 7th in FG%
- 21st in 3PM
2022-2023 Team Stats
Points Per Game
CHA: 109.4
MIN: 114.3
Points Allowed
CHA: 114.5
MIN: 113.7
Field Goal Percentage
CHA: 44.3%
MIN: 48.6%
Assists Per Game
CHA: 25.3
MIN: 27.3
Rebounds Per Game
CHA: 45.4
MIN: 44.3
Charlotte's 2022-2023 Active Individual Stat Leaders
Points Per Game: Terry Rozier 20.4 PPG
Assists Per Game: Terry Rozier 5.4 AST
Rebounds Per Game: Mason Plumlee 8.9 REB
Blocks Per Game: PJ Washington 0.9 BLK
Steals Per Game: Kelly Oubre Jr 1.6 STL
Minnesota's 2022-2023 Active Individual Stat Leaders
Points Per Game: Anthony Edwards 21.9 PPG
Assists Per Game: D'Angelo Russell 6.5 AST
Rebounds Per Game: Rudy Gobert 12.6 REB
Blocks Per Game: Rudy Gobert 1.4 BLK
Steals Per Game: D'Angelo Russell 1.3 STL
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