The Charlotte Hornets show signs of growing defensively as they continue to increase the Eastern Conference
The Charlotte Hornets are leading 99-98 for five minutes against Golden State.
The Hornets’ excitable caller Eric Collins was exploding with anticipation on every pass in a memorable early-season win.
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Despite the overwhelming hope from the home crowd, you look at the Warriors lineup and see the players on the field.
Stephen the curry. Draymond Green. Andre Iguodala.
At that point, Curry was clearly held to a draw, scoring just 24 points. But he will surely lose interest…
Charlotte, who is 7-7 tonight, needs a big win. A standout team, the Hornets’ play was inconsistent throughout the early part of the season.
Instead of collapsing under pressure, the Hornets locked in defenses, suffocating the Warriors and inner Curry. Golden State will take just four points for the rest of the run, with Curry scoring none in the 0-4 from the floor.
At his best, Curry was unstoppable against many of Charlotte’s defenders and for this night at least, he was defeated by miraculous attempts.
The 106-102 win was big, but the way they performed defensively looked like something head coach James Borrego could rely on to move forward.
“We’re trying to be a more consistent team in our efforts,” Borrego said. “I think tonight is a prime example of that.”
“I think we’re just locked in defence. Ball pressure, our hands, our action. I think our team is great with Steph. He saves one, you keep going. , he’s going to take some shots.. I think in general we had a really hard time with him tonight.The guys in that dressing room deserved credit, they were locked up from the minute. Firstly. “
Entering the night, Hornet was ranked 27th in terms of defensive effectiveness after being defense ranked 16th in 2020-21.
An explosive offensive team, Hornet has quickly become an NBA League Pass darling, with the LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges pair providing as many standout plays as any duo since the start of last season.
Aside from his incredible passes and sinks, the Ball and Bridge possesses serious size, length and versatility that bode well for a successful modern defense.
In a positive sign, Hornet has a defensive rating 105.3 for 268 minutes on the floor with big man Mason Plumlee.
As with all youth teams, defense usually comes into play after attack, but tonight at least, the Hornets seized the opportunity to lock down an opposing team when they needed it most.
“To be a good team you have to be able to close. I think we closed tonight and it’s more of a defence.”
Now it’s about consistency.
