Hornets welcome a trio of Suns stars to town as they try to stop 10-game skid

The Hornets have their work cut out for them tonight.

Zach Roberts | Jan 7, 2025

Jan 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) walks off the court after a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are playing another team below .500 tonight, but the talent gap is still there. Armed with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns might be 16-18, but they have three stars that can truly dominate on any given night.

The Hornets don't have as much star power, and even the disappointing Suns have nine more wins than Charlotte does. The Hornets do get to come back home where they've played a little bit better. They also get to play in front of a crowd that has been pretty consistent this year.

INJURY REPORT

For the Hornets, the injury report is: PROBABLE: Seth Curry (right knee). OUT: Grant Williams (ACL) and Tre Mann (disc irritation).

The Suns have the following: OUT: Royce O'Neal (ankle).

Game Preview

Being slightly below .500 in the Western Conference is not the same as being slightly under .500 in the Eastern Conference, and the Hornets aren't even slightly below .500. They're trending towards the worst record in the NBA.

That's thanks to an overall disappointing year on both sides of the ball. The Hornets remain almost middle-of-the-pack on defense with the 18th-best defensive rating. On offense, however, they're still pretty bad with the third-worst offensive rating.

The Hornets do not share the ball well, as they have the fourth-worst assist ratio. They are also fifth-worst in turnover percentage. They don't take care of the ball or score very well on offense, and their defense isn't stout enough to overcome it. Phoenix, meanwhile, ranks 10th in assist ratio and 12th in turnover percentage.

Key Matchup - Kevin Durant vs. his primary on-ball defenders

At times tonight, Cody Martin (probably Charlotte's best on-ball defender) will likely match up with Kevin Durant. He's got the athleticism and defensive acumen to take on the task. However, when the starters are on the floor, it's likely to be either Josh Green, Brandon Miller, or Miles Bridges on Durant.

This is not an ideal scenario. Durant is one of the most gifted players in the sport, and Bridges and Miller are both rough defenders this year. Miller has the team's fourth-worst defensive rating, and Bridges has the sixth-worst. Josh Green is solid, ranking fifth among players with at least 20 games played.

He will likely be tasked as the Durant stopper, but when he's not on the court, Charles Lee may have to get creative with his defensive assignments to prevent Durant from going for a season-high tonight.

Projected Starting Lineup

With no major injuries on either side (neither LaMelo Ball nor Brandon Miller are on the report after returning on Sunday), here are the projected lineups: