Three Takeaways From the Hornets' Preseason Loss to the Boston Celtics
The Hornets suffered a tough loss to the Boston Celtics in their first preseason game as they lost 134-93.
The Boston Celtics were the Eastern Conference Champions this past season and they didn't seem to miss a step. The Hornets jumped out of the gate looking really fluid as they were playing phenomenal defense and the offense was flowing well. However, that didn't last long as the Celtics jumped out to a big lead and didn't look back.
The Hornets are going to need some time to adjust as they have a new coaching staff and they lost a couple of players in the off-season. That's what the preseason is for. It's important because it helps get the players adjusted and more importantly helps the coaches see who can or who can't play together. Despite it being just the Hornets' first preseason game, there were still a couple of takeaways to take away from the game.
The Hornets' obvious lack of inside scoring/ability to drive
The Hornets' loss of Miles Bridges seemed evident early on. Not anyone on the Hornets was able to attack the basket and score consistently. That seemed to be a major weak spot for Charlotte and it was glaring early on. The offense would get stagnant and the shot-clock would run low, which would lead to a last-second heave or forced shot. The Hornets seemed to also miss the inside presence of Montrezl Harrell, who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. LaMelo didn't seem to have a pick-and-roll partner that could finish inside the paint. LaMelo and Montrezl were really good partners in the pick and roll last season. Those two players were very important to the Hornets' offense and they made it easier for others to score the basketball. The Hornets' lack of players that can create and score in the interior will drastically affect the number of easy baskets that they can get.
It definitely doesn't help when you play such a great defense in Boston, who are really physical. The Hornets still await the decision on the Miles Bridges case, but for now, they will be without him. It's going to be a difficult time if the Hornets don't have someone who can score the basketball in the interior. Now, who will step up in place of Bridges and Harrell and be able to score consistently inside the paint?
The center position still needs work/time
Every season it seems like there is an obvious concern with the Hornets' center spot and it hasn't really improved over the last couple of years. However, this year the Hornets added Mark Williams from Duke in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Hornets were very excited to be able to get him and they think he can be the future center. It's only the first preseason game, but it was a rough go for the Hornets centers. Mason Plumlee will without a doubt be the starter to start the season and by the way it looks currently, Nick Richards could be the backup. Mason Plumlee was serviceable for the Hornets as he was able to put up solid numbers (8 points and 6 rebounds) in only 15 minutes. In training camp, there was a lot of talk about Nick Richards and how much he had improved, but he just seemed sluggish and a little bit off. On defense, he tended to jump and try to block each shot, which led to a lot of easy Celtics baskets. It felt like the Celtics 3rd or 4th string center (Mfiondu Kabengele) outplayed the Hornets' centers outside of Mason Plumlee.
It was a little bit frustrating to see Mark Williams not get any playing time with LaMelo Ball, but there are still four more preseason games to hopefully get a look at them playing on the floor together. Kai Jones played well in the minutes he received towards the end of the game, but it seems like he's at the very end of the bench as far as minutes. The center position for the Hornets just seems very jumbled up currently and it's going to be rough for Steve Clifford to be able to decide who's going to get most of the run at the five. Similar to the NBA Summer League this summer, Kai Jones played minutes at the four, and likewise, to the summer league, it just didn't seem to fit very well. When Kai Jones and Mark Williams are both playing at the same time it seems to negatively impact both of them because they're playing outside of their roles. It seems clear that it's going to take more time with the center rotation.
Jalen McDaniels could be in store for a breakout season
There's been a lot of talk about who's going to step up for Charlotte with the loss of Miles Bridges and a lot of people have forgotten about Jalen McDaniels. McDaniels was arguably the most impressive player from the loss vs the Celtics. He showed off his whole skillset, whether it was a fadeaway jumper, floating away floater, strong take to the basket, or finishing through contact. McDaniels has always been really solid defensively for the Hornets and if he can continue to show his all-around game offensively, he could be in place for really good minutes off the bench. It was a nice surprise to see McDaniels put together a really solid game as he was able to score 10 points on 5-7 shooting in just 19 minutes off the bench. He's shown flashes for Charlotte with his time on the team, but he hasn't been able to prove he can do it consistently. That will be the question for McDaniels for the rest of the preseason and going into the season. Can he play as he did against Boston consistently? He certainly looks like he could be in store for a breakout season for the Hornets.
It's just the first preseason game so it's hard to gauge anything too much, but the Hornets definitely have a lot to work on. The preseason never really tells the story for a team, but it was clear that the Hornets lacked inside scoring and their center position is still a work in progress. It also seemed like Jalen McDaniels could have a really good season for the Hornets. Last year, the Hornets lost to the Dallas Mavericks by 68 points in the preseason and they were just fine. There's no reason to overreact to a preseason loss. especially to such a good team in the Boston Celtics.
The Hornets take on the Indiana Pacers in Charlotte on Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST.
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