Stock up, stock down: Takeaways from the Hornets' blowout win over Utah

The Charlotte Hornets were able to snap a three-game losing streak on Sunday, blowing out the Jazz in a 126-103 victory.

Let’s take a look at how stocks changed after this victory.

Stock up: C Ryan Kalkbrenner

The big man is proving he can make an impact even when he is not scoring. Despite just two points on 1/3 shooting, Kalkbrenner poured in four steals and four blocks. He’s now up to 3.4 stocks (steals + blocks) per game on the season. Seeing an expansion of his offense in the future will be vital, but for now being a defensive anchor is much appreciated by the Hornets.

Stock down: Veteran Shooting Without LaMelo Ball

Without Ball in the lineup, the veterans who played at least 20 minutes in the blowout win were Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, and Tre Mann. Between them, the trio shot just 15/40 from the field and 7/21 from three. This lack of efficiency may have been irrelevant to the outcome of a blowout win, but shooting performances like that are not going to cut it against playoff-caliber rosters.

Stock up: Rookie Impact on Offense Without LaMelo Ball

The veterans may not have had the night they wanted shooting the basketball, but the rookies Kon Knueppel and Sion James sure did. Knueppel was 9/17 from the field and 4/9 from three on his way to 24 points. James chipped in an efficient 15 points on 6/8 shooting and 3/5 from three. The pair also chipped in 8 assists between them. The confidence and intentionality with which these two are shooting and moving the ball is well ahead of schedule.

Stock down: Tidjane Salaun

The former sixth-overall pick found just three minutes on the court against the Jazz, recording no stats during that time. The lack of impact and playing time in such a win does not necessarily instill confidence in Salaun’s development, especially compared to that of all four rookies on the roster.

Stock up: Free Throw Shooting

The Hornets were perfect from the line on Sunday, converting all 22 attempts. This brings the Hornets up to 81% from the line this season, good for the ninth-best mark in the league. The last time the Hornets were top-10 in the league in free throw percentage over an entire season was the 2018-19 squad that finished as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets will be back in action on Tuesday when they head to New Orleans to take on the winless Pelicans.

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