The Hornets NBA Cup Journey Kicks Off in Orlando

Two teams missing their big men battle for a first in-season tournament win

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Injury Report

Hornets:
OUT: DaQuan Jefferies (R Hand), Mark Williams (L Foot), Nick Richards (R Rib), Miles Bridges (R Knee) Questionable: Tre Mann (back soreness)

Magic:
OUT: Paolo Banchero (R Oblique), Wendell Carter Jr. (L Foot)

NBA Cup

This is Charlotte's first "Cup" match of the season. To find out more about how the NBA Cup works, click HERE

Game Preview

It's hard to measure the Magic's and Hornets' progress up to this point, as their records don't tell the whole story. Orlando has won five of eleven games but lost two crucial frontcourt pieces, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., to injury early on. The duo went down in the midst of a five-game losing skid, which the Magic managed to end before tonight's matchup with victories against New Orleans and Washington.

Similarly, the Hornets have seen their big men go down one after another. Mark Williams started the season injured, Nick Richards joined him soon after and Miles Bridges became part of the unlucky trio after the nailbiter versus Detroit. That hasn't stopped Charles Lee from instilling a great rebounding culture in Charlotte though. Spearheaded by the efforts of Moussa Diabate, the Hornets have been one of the best teams on the boards in the NBA.

Orlando on the other hand is having the same issues as last year. The addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hasn't provided the supposed shooting spark and the rest of team isn't able to produce consistent offense, ranking 30th in the NBA in team 3-point percentage (29.9%). At the same time, head coach Jamahl Mosley can still rely on the defense to win his squad games. The Magic are fifth in defensive rating, after finishing second in the 2023/24 season.

Key Match-up: Brandon Miller vs Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Despite hitting a big three in the closing minutes of the game, Brandon Miller had a subpar outing against the Philadelphia 76ers, only connecting on three of his eleven tries from deep. His match-up tonight can probably relate to that feeling, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hasn't found any rhythm from three-point-range this season.

Currently sitting on a percentage of 21.6% on 4.6 attempts per game. It should be safe to say that the two-time NBA champion will end his slump sooner or later, as he's never finished below 38% in his previous five seasons. Even if KCP won't find his shot tonight, he'll still make Brandon Miller work on the offensive end. It'll be interesting to see if the Hornets sophomore can have a little bounce-back game.

Predicted Starting Fives

	Hornets	Magic
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Jalen Suggs
Shooting Guard	Brandon Miller	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Small Forward	Josh Green	Franz Wagner
Power Forward	Tidjane Salaün	Tristan da Silva
Center	Taj Gibson	Goga Bitadze

Charlotte's next game is at home against the Bucks on November 16th at 3pm EST.

MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI

NBA last two-minute report reveals multiple missed calls that swung Hornets loss to 76ers in Philadelphia

Hornets 2024 NBA Cup run tips off on Tuesday: Analyzing Charlottes' path to in-season tournament glory

Why Moussa Diabaté deserves a starting role with the injured Charlotte Hornets: A deep dive into his impact

LaMelo Ball's offensive maturation is key to Charlotte Hornets' future success