Charlotte Hornets at Toronto Raptors Game Preview
Injury Report
Hornets: OUT Kelly Oubre Jr (hand), Gordon Hayward (hamstring/shoulder)
Raptors: OUT Otto Porter Jr (toe)
Game Preview
This game features two of the more disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference this season. The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a season in which they won 43 games, but injuries and defense have plagued them all year. The Raptors won 48 games last season and finished in fifth place in the conference. The Hornets sit in 14th place currently while the Raptors are holding on to the 11th spot in the standings. Things have not gone as planned for either squad, to say the least, but there is still time to turn it around.
Tuesday's game will be the first of two consecutive games between the two teams. Toronto took two of three contests last year against the Hornets. The Raptors boast an incredible amount of size and length with their wing players, and Charlotte really struggled to deal with that last season. It felt as though every pass Charlotte attempted was either deflected or tightly challenged and it was a real struggle to get into the paint against them. The Hornets have shown that length on the perimeter especially can still bother them and knock them off their spots. This was evident most notably against the Magic earlier in the season. Watching how Charlotte's guards attack this defense will be a key area to watch. Can LaMelo Ball get into the paint and draw help defenders opening things up for teammates? Can Terry Rozier use his crafty ball handling to get to his spots and get his mid-range game going?
Toronto has been really good this season getting out in transition and getting easy buckets. The team has a ton of athleticism and length that they often use to get out and run as they are averaging 18.1 fast break points per game. Steve Clifford has often criticized the Hornets' ability to get back on defense and stop their opponents from getting easy ones, so it will be interested to see if they are up to the challenge in that regard.
The Raptors have a really strong defense this season but have struggled to score the ball efficiently. They score and give up about 111 points a game, so you can see a really strong defensive outlook but offensive numbers that rank near the bottom of the league. Unfortunately for Charlotte, they have not been much better offensively (112 points a game) but are far worse defensively. The team has been giving up over 118 points per game on the season, and that number is over 120 in their last ten games. The Hornets will need to be focused defensively in this one because of how strong Toronto's defense is.
Key Match-up: Pascal Siakam vs PJ Washington Jr.
Pascal Siakam is having arguably the best season of his extremely impressive young career. The 28-year-old from New Mexico State is averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on strong shooting percentages. He is not only capable of scoring from all three levels but deadly in each area. He has improved his jump shot to become a legitimate threat from outside, but he can also use his 6'8" frame to get into the paint and do damage inside. When defenses send help, he has improved his processing speed so drastically that he has an assist percentage similar to guards in today's league. His passing reads have become one of the strongest areas of his game because of how much attention he draws due to his scoring ability.
PJ Washington has become the Hornets' best all-around defender over the last few seasons. He is the most versatile on the team as he can switch out onto guards and bang with the bigs down low without giving up too much. Siakam presents a great challenge defensively, but PJ is exactly the type of defender needed to slow him down. He won't be intimidated by Siakam's length and size when he tries to work from the block, and he has the foot speed and athleticism to keep up with him on the perimeter. Having PJ locked in on this matchup will be crucial for Charlotte to come out with a victory.
| Positions | Charlotte Hornets | Toronto Raptors |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | LaMelo Ball | Fred VanVleet |
Shooting Guard | Terry Rozier | Gary Trent Jr. |
Small Forward | Jalen McDaniels | OG Anunoby |
Power Forward | PJ Washington Jr. | Scottie Barnes |
Center | Mason Plumlee | Pascal Siakam |
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