Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls: NBA Preseason Twitter Recap
The Charlotte Hornets played their first televised game of the season last night against the Chicago Bulls. It was not just the first of this season, but also the first in 12 years.
Despite all this excitement, the Hornets were unable to overcome the play of Bulls guards Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich, who had 17 and 26 points, respectively, and fell to Chicago 101-96.
The Hornets were led by Lance Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 14 points apiece but struggled to recover from a poor start that saw the Bulls score 57 points in the first half.
Hot Start and Finish
The Bulls got off to a hot start, scoring 35 points in the first quarter and 48 through the first 16 minutes.
Hinrich was the driving force behind this surge, scoring 15 of his 26 in the first half, as the Bulls' lead ballooned to as much as 18. But the Hornets would not go away and stayed within striking distance all game thanks to all five starters scoring in double figures.
Rose looked as athletic as ever, making some of the plays that made him the MVP in 2011.
Kidd-Gilchrist Is Better on Offense
Much has been made about MKG's improved offense and shooting stroke this offseason.
On Sunday, MKG proved that he has improved even if it doesn't mean he will be looking for his jumper every play.
The former Kentucky forward has averaged 10.5 points and over seven rebounds per game this preseason and has proved that teams will at least have to respect his offense.
Last year, defenses could basically ignore Kidd-Gilchrist on offense, leading to more double-teams for guys like Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, but with MKG showing he will at least need to be guarded, he and other players are getting better looks.
Having a barely respectable offense is surely not what the Hornets were looking for when they drafted Kidd-Gilchrist with the second overall pick in 2012, but this is an indication of a big step forward for the 21-year-old.
The Second Unit Needs Hendo
The second unit has looked good sporadically throughout the preseason but has struggled with rhythm at times.
Without anyone on the unit who looks to get others involved and generate good shots, it has resorted to a lot of chucked-up shots and not nearly enough easy looks.
Gary Neal hasn't had any trouble scoring, but even he took some ill-advised shots and didn't exactly help others score.
Gerald Henderson can bring that when he returns from injury, which head coach Steve Clifford said in the postgame press conference he believes will be by Thursday.
