The Hornets face off against the new-look San Antonio Spurs

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: DOUBTFUL- Josh Green (R Calf), QUESTIONABLE - LaMelo Ball (L Ankle), Dalton Knecht (Trade Pending), Jusuf Nurkic (Trade Pending), OUT - Brandon Miller (R Wrist), Tre Mann (Disc Herniation), Grant Williams (R ACL), Josh Okogie (L Hamstring), Cam Reddish (Not with Team)

Spurs: OUT - Charles Bassey (L MCL)

Game Preview:

It's been a hectic past couple of days at the NBA trade deadline for most teams, and that was the case for both the Charlotte Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Hornets traded Mark Williams late on Wednesday night and also traded away Vasa Micic and Cody Martin on Thursday and acquired Dalton Knecht, Jusuf Nurkic, Cam Reddish and picks.

The Spurs traded Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and picks for an all-star caliber player of De'Aaron Fox who made his Spurs debut on Wednesday versus the Atlanta Hawks.

For the Hornets, they could get their star player of LaMelo Ball back in the lineup as he's listed as "questionable" for the first time since injuring his ankle versus the Los Angeles Lakers just over a week ago. The Hornets have struggled in Ball's absence as they are just 1-16 without him this season.

The Hornets' new acquisitions of Dalton Knecht and Jusuf Nurkic could also make their Hornets debuts, as they're listed as questionable for tonight's contest. The Hornets could really use Nurkic tonight with Victor Wembanyama coming to town.

If Knecht were to be available, it would be intriguing to see if he would start or come off of the bench. Brandon Miller, who would typically be starting at the guard position, is out for the season. Knecht in 14 games as a starter for the Lakers was terrific, as he averaged over 14 points per game and five rebounds.

For the Spurs, their addition of De'Aaron Fox while giving up absolutely nothing is a game changer for that team and for Wembanyama. The Spurs finally paired Wemby with a high-quality player at the point guard position while keeping important pieces in Stephon Castle, Chris Paul, and Harrison Barnes.

In Fox's debut game, the Spurs defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-125, as he scored 24 points and accumulated 13 assists to go with it. It will be an obviously tough matchup for the Hornets to be able to contain Fox and the play of Wembanayama.

Key Matchup: Who Stops Wembanyama?

Well this game could go in a couple of different ways, but it really comes down to the Spurs center of Wembanyama. The Hornets traded Mark Williams, so they're left with Moussa Diabate, Taj Gibson, and Jusuf Nurkic. As well, Nurkic may not even be available, which really shortens the Hornets center rotation.

With that in mind, I'm not even sure any of the names listed can guard him, which leaves this as the key matchup for tonight's contest. However, in all honesty, Wembanyama may not even be stoppable.

Projected Starting Lineups

Position	Charlotte Hornets	San Antonio Spurs
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	De'Aaron Fox
Shooting Guard	Nick Smith Jr	Chris Paul
Small Forward	Dalton Knecht	Devin Vassell
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Harrison Barnes
Center	Jusuf Nurkic	Victor Wembanyama

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