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Charlotte Hornets: Living on a Prayer versus Houston

By John Woodcock

Feb 7, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Frank Kaminsky (44) looks to pass the ball as Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) defends during the first half of the game at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Frank Kaminsky (44) looks to pass the ball as Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) defends during the first half of the game at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets try to get back toward relevance tonight against the Houston Rockets.

The Charlotte Hornets broke a series of losses by beating that old faithful, the Brooklyn Nets. Now they have to build some momentum and the draw doesn’t really help them here. James Harden and the Houston Rockets come to Charlotte with their high scoring offense. The Hornets are stuck in a transition and probably would rather that the Nets came back for another go.

Against the Nets, the Hornets dealt with their injury woes by starting Frank Kaminsky at center. The Hornets have been missing Cody Zeller for the past few games and now have lost Ramon Sessions for four to six weeks. It is another blow to the Hornets depth since Miles Plumlee arrived from Milwaukee out of game shape.

The Hornets are operating on a very slim margin of error at this point. They beat the Nets by getting a good balance between the starting frontcourt and the backcourt. The bench got productive games from Marco Belinelli and Jeremy Lamb, which was a welcome sign. These are the kind of results they need every game, but they will not be playing the Nets every game.

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Coach Steve Clifford puts a premium on good defense, but that has been missing at times during this losing streak. The Hornets also do not have the trade assets to address it since the Plumlee trade. If there is going to be a big lift from somewhere it is Plumlee or bust.

These things all make Houston a trial by fire. The team will have to make adjustments to Harden and eliminate his passing options. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will likely get the brunt of this assignment, but it is really a team game on defense. Harden has shown some ability to share the ball in the Mike D’Antoni system.

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Finally there is Brian Roberts. The veteran guard will be taking the minutes that Kemba Walker can’t do. He has been an afterthought to this point, but it is time to see the player who ran the New Orleans Pelicans some years ago for about half the season. He is not Ramon Sessions, but that means that there should be more playmaking possible.

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