With a Win Over the Spurs, the Hornets Will Break a 10-Year Drought

How hot can LaMelo, Brandon, and Kon stay?

Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

"Work" by Rihanna and "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber sat atop the music charts, and "Zoomania" and "Deadpool" were pulling viewers into movie theaters - on March 12th, 2016!

On that same day, the Charlotte Hornets beat the James Harden-led Houston Rockets 125-109, behind 26 points from Kemba Walker. It was their seventh win in a row, a streak that would be snapped in the next game, a 107-96 loss to the Mavericks.

Ever since, for almost ten years, the Hornets have been unable to string together even six consecutive wins. They have a chance to do it today, at 12 pm ET, in Spectrum Center.

Injury Report (Not Final)

Hornets: OUT: Mason Plumlee (R Groin), Liam McNeeley (G-League) PROBABLE: Josh Green (L Achilles)


Spurs: OUT: Jeremy Sochan (L Quad)

No big names in this one for either side. Plumlee continues to miss time after his groin surgery, and McNeeley is on a G-League assignment. Josh Green should be good to go despite some recurring Achilles issues.

Jeremy Sochan has barely seen the court this season, even when healthy.

Today's Opponent: The San Antonio Spurs (2nd in the West)

Find someone who looks at you the way DeAaron Fox looks at Victor Wembanyama | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

San Antonio enters this one with a 32-15 record. They're an up-and-down team offensively, with plenty of potent scorers, but a lack of consistent three-point shooting, where they only rank 23rd in the NBA.

The real crown jewel of this team is the defense, though. It's no secret, and at this point not much of a debate, that Victor Wembanyama is the best rim deterrent in basketball.

No other player puts as much fear into his opponents' hearts when they drive to the rim, while also being able to hold his own against them on the perimeter. His backup, Luke Kornet, is another staunch defender.

Position	Hornets	Spurs
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	De'Aaron Fox
Shooting Guard	Kon Knueppel	Stephon Castle
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Justin Champagnie
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Harrison Barnes
Center	Moussa Diabaté	Victor Wembanyama

Key to the game: Contain the Alien

As I mentioned before, the Spurs are prone to going cold from deep and could very well shoot themselves out of the game that way. But since that's not a given, what should Charles Lee focus on for his game plan?

Well, it's pretty simple, and it's also not at the same time. The simple part: You have to make the scoring hard for Wembanyama. When he puts up less than 20 points, the Spurs are only 6-6. The not-so-simple part: How do you do it?

nba.com

A look at the Frenchman's shot chart shows his versatility but also a weakness. While he is a big man with shooting touch, he's not that efficient from the free-throw line.

Of course, keeping a 7'4 center away from the rim is the key, but in this case, you'd probably like him to operate more from behind the arc than the midrange.

It will be on his countryman Moussa Diabaté to ensure that's the case. Diabaté has been an absolute revelation this season, but this is a challenge like no other he's faced so far.

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Behind 34 points from Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets win fifth straight despite Flagg's 49 point night

Score Predictions for Charlotte Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs