Game Preview: Hornets host Clippers in Brandon Miller's return

Ball, Miller, and Knueppel square off with James Harden and Co.

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers have been two of the most disappointing teams so far this season. The reasons for their struggles are not identical. But there are plenty of similarities to be found.

For one, both sides have been dealing with considerable injury issues that will likely hold them back again in today's 1 pm matchup. In some positive news, Brandon Miller doesn't appear on the injury report and seems set to make his return after missing 13 straight games.

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: OUT - Grant Williams (R Knee), Josh Green (L Shoulder), Tidjane Salaün (G-League), Questionable - Tre Mann (L Ankle Soreness), PROBABLE - Sion James (L Groin Soreness)

Clippers: OUT - Bradley Beal (L Hip Fracture), Derrick Jones Jr. (Right Knee Surgery), Kawhi Leonard (R Ankle Sprain), Jordan Miller (L Hamstring)

In his only full game of the season, Brandon Miller put up 25 points and 7 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Looking at the way the games for both the Hornets and Clippers have gone so far, there's an obvious trend. In the first quarter, Charlotte and LA often dominate on offense (2nd & 10th in Ortg), while also giving up a ton on defense (30th & 26th in Drtg).

That then flips on its head in the second quarter, where the offenses stagnate (21st & 22nd in Ortg) and the defenses take a leap (8th & 9th in Drtg). Neither team reaches a top 10 spot in the third or fourth quarter.

A big reason for LA's strong offensive starts: James Harden ranks fourth in first quarter scoring with 9.6 points. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

All of this proves that both teams can play good stretches of basketball, but putting together a consistent half or even a consistent game on both ends of the floor seems difficult.

On one hand, that can be attributed to the injuries that result in lineup inconsistencies on both sides. But it's also pretty obvious that these are two of the teams with the least depth in the entire NBA.

For Charlotte, that's not as bad because a lot of the players usually coming off the bench (Liam McNeeley, Moussa Diabate, KJ Simpson, Tre Mann, Tidjane Salaün) are simply really young and have upside to tap into in the coming years.

It's a different story for the Clippers, who have Brook Lopez (37), Chris Paul (40), Bogdan Bogdanovic (33), and Nicolas Batum (36) playing minutes in their second unit.

Key Matchup: Dominating the possession battle

The Clippers are pretty much forced to run a lot of their offense through James Harden, even more so in the absence of Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard. That results in a lot of isolations and unassisted buckets, but also in a lot of turnovers and not as much ball movement.

If the Hornets can make the ball stick in Harden's hands, prevent John Collins and Ivica Zubac from getting involved, and force some turnovers along the way, that's half the battle.

The other half will come down to rebounding, a strength of Charlotte and a weakness of the Clippers. Apart from Ivica Zubac, who, despite an overall disappointing season, has been reliable on the boards, LA lacks athleticism and assertiveness in that department.

When Zubac heads to the bench, that's when an already meh rebounding team becomes a really bad one. The rebounding leader in the second unit is Bogdan Bogdanovic with 3.4 a game. That says a lot about how weak the rest of LA's frontcourt has been.

John Collins hasn't found a productive role in the rotation yet, Nicolas Batum isn't much of a rebounder, and Brook Lopez... has one offensive rebound in all of November. It's the 22nd of the month. He's played in ten games.

A candidate for more minutes: Clippers rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser is a raw but athletic prospect who might see increased playing time if things keep going wrong for LA. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

So, if the Hornets can stack some takeaways, run the floor (they have the clear advantage in athleticism, especially with Miller back), and punish the non-Zubac lineups on the glass, this is as winnable a game as there'll be this season.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Position	Charlotte Hornets	Los Angeles Clippers
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	James Harden
Shooting Guard	Kon Knueppel	Kris Dunn
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Kobe Sanders
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	John Collins
Center	Ryan Kalkbrenner	Ivica Zubac

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