Charlotte Hornets' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for December
Well, that escalated quickly. The Charlotte Hornets have very little to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. They can take solace in their nifty new court and uniforms, but the buzz has been silenced fast. A six-game losing streak will do that to a team.
This team has been a dumpster fire thus far. Luckily, the Eastern Conference is once again wide open, so there is plenty of time to make a turnaround. At 4-11, Charlotte sits ahead of just the 3-11 Detroit Pistons, and the "we actually might not win this year" Philadelphia 76ers at 0-14. Charlotte is just 2.5 games out of a playoff bid, which is both comforting and a very premature observation.
Charlotte closes the month of November with three very tough games at home against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors, two early-season Western Conference powerhouses with a combined record of 22-5, before wrapping up the month at the Atlanta Hawks. Hornets fans must embrace the very real possibility that this team will head into December at 4-14, having lost nine in a row.
The Hornets are 26th in the league in scoring, 18th in points allowed and 24th in rebounding. Turning all of this around in December might be a bit easier, because Charlotte's schedule eases up some. The talent level in the NBA is at an all-time high, so easy wins are hard to come by.
We are going to dive into a week-by-week breakdown for the month and see how Charlotte can right this ship. Here are your predictions and rundowns of what is on the horizon.
Week 1: December 1-7
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Games: Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks
Most Notable Matchup: Chicago
Derrick Rose continues to be a (sometimes) walking game-time decision for the Bulls, while the Knicks are struggling with the triangle offense worse than a second grade geometry class.
Opening the month of December with a triumph over the Bulls would be huge, even without Rose. Chicago plays like Charlotte wants to play. That is the team these guys need to model themselves after. With Rose out, Jimmy Butler has made a leap and is a legitimate budding star at shooting guard. The improved bench with Aaron Brooks and Nikola Mirotic ensures that this squad is tough on a nightly basis and stacked with reinforcements.
A win over Chicago could be a turning point, especially at home. Chicago is still ironing out some kinks and is certainly not firing on all cylinders just yet, although it is an incredible 7-3 on the road.
The Hornets already dropped a game to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden earlier this season on November 2 by the score of 96-93. This will be a must-win, as Charlotte has already squandered any opportunities for feeling things out. This team can no longer afford to drop games that it should be winning.
Weekly Prediction: 1-1
Week 2: December 8-14
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Games: Boston Celtics, at Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets
Most Notable Matchup: at Memphis
Earlier this year, Charlotte and the Grizz played to a halt, with Memphis winning by the measly score of 71-69. Both these squads play like teams out of the late 1990s, and it is a pleasure to watch hard-nosed defensive basketball once in a while.
The only thing is that Memphis can score the rock this year. Marc Gasol has been outstanding so far, averaging 19.9 points. Courtney Lee, Vince Carter, Quincy Pondexter and Jon Leuer have added to the offensive firepower, making this a much more dangerous team than ones we have seen in recent years.
The Big Al and Marc Gasol matchup will be fun to watch, but someone is going to have to slow Zach Randolph and Mike Conley. This represents a huge redemption game for the Hornets, as well as another tough test to see just where they are at this point in the year.
Boston and Brooklyn are both struggling but still dangerous. It is hard to trust Charlotte to handle its business in games of little difficulty to this point; not only have the Hornets lost to great teams, but they have already gone down to the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers.
This is a tough week to gauge, but unless the Hornets get it going, it is unlikely they get to mid-December on a roll.
Weekly Prediction: 1-2
Week 3: December 15-21
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Games: at Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, at Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz
Most Notable Matchup: Cleveland
The Cavaliers may be struggling, but if they are still floundering in three weeks, it will be very surprising. Expect them to get rolling soon and wreak havoc on the league on the offensive end.
Including the playoffs, Charlotte went 0-8 last year against LeBron James' Miami Heat club. He also obliterated the team for 61 points on one occasion, so to say the Hornets have struggled with him would be an understatement.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and company better be more prepared this time. Charlotte projects to give the Cavs problems due to its inside-out game. The Hornets rely heavily on Jefferson's post-up game, as well as the dribble penetration of Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker. Cleveland has no rim protection to speak of, so the Hornets might be able to exploit that weakness.
Charlotte already handled the Suns once this year, which is arguably the most impressive win on its resume at this point. The Hornets triumphed 103-95 in Phoenix on November 14, pulling to within one game of .500. Oh, how the times have changed.
Philly and Utah should, I repeat should be easy victories, although the Jazz are one of the more overlooked young teams in this league. If the Hornets lose to the Sixers, then maybe they should just go back to being the Bobcats. Or go to the D-League.
Weekly Prediction: 3-1
Week 4-Plus: December 22-31
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Games: Denver Nuggets, at Milwaukee Bucks, at Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, at Houston Rockets
Most Notable Matchup: at Houston
Wrapping up the calendar year with a trip to Houston should be interesting. Last year's Bobcats would have posed a real threat to the Rockets, but it is iffy what kind of impact these Hornets can have.
All Houston does is shoot threes and attack the rim. The Rockets know their strengths and play to them extremely well. Charlotte has the weaponry to take these things away from them but hasn't been able to consistently do so yet. Once again, this would be a huge statement win in a season devoid of many.
This week is pivotal, because there are a handful of easier games on the agenda. Charlotte has to light some sort of fire over the first three weeks of December so it can set up properly to get hot toward the end of the month. In today's league, this is one of the easier six-game stretches you can ask for. However, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook might both be back around the time the Hornets head to OKC, so Charlotte might miss out on that party.
Regardless, two matchups with Milwaukee, one with the Nuggets and one with Orlando all become must-win due to the poor start to the season. Charlotte is past the point where it can lose to subpar competition without worrying much.
The Hornets will certainly be playing better at this point but still will not hit full stride, like they did after the All-Star break last year. Expect them to tread some water here and par the course.
Weekly Prediction: 3-3
Conclusion
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I don't think the Charlotte Hornets are going to kick it into high gear during the month of December, but they will iron out a few kinks.
With a handful of easier games sprinkled throughout the month, all signs point toward some simple wins. The real test will come when this squad has to lace up against the Rockets, Grizzlies and Cavaliers.
Lance Stephenson must get comfortable in this offense and start producing. Al Jefferson must pay team basketball. Kemba Walker must start scoring efficiently.
Charlotte's premier defense from last season has to show up. Even with the additions to the team, this squad is still not prepared to play in the 110s or 120s. The Hornets won games last year by stifling opponents and holding them in the 90s.
Few people saw this start coming. I, for one, expected the Hornets to have maybe a couple of bumps in the road, but never did 4-11 seem fathomable after the way last season ended. December will provide some bright spots, but the All-Star break might be the time once again where we really see this team take off.
Final Monthly Prediction: 8-7
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