Charlotte Hornets at Denver Nuggets Game Preview

Getting you ready for today's game.

The Hornets head to Denver on Sunday to kick off a six-game road trip on the west coast. The Hornets are in sole possession of the worst record in the NBA (7-22) but have recently seen LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward return to the lineup. They take on a Nuggets squad led by former-MVP Nikola Jokic who currently sits at 17-11 on the season.

Ball and Hayward have returned to the lineup at the right time, as this west coast road trip is sure to be quite the gauntlet for a team desperate for wins. Outside of the offensive firepower both are sure to bring to the lineup, the Hornets are a team in grave need of improvement on the defensive end. Charlotte ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating per 100 possessions (115.0), and head coach Steve Clifford has made it known he's not happy about it. The Nuggets will certainly be a difficult task to right that ship against, but Charlotte hopes to begin to make some inroads.

The Nuggets on the other hand are cruising towards another top seed in the Western Conference this season. While Denver has been efficient in just about every facet of offensive play this season, they actually rank lower than the Hornets in defensive rating per 100 possessions (115.1). This game could quickly turn into a shootout if defensive trends for these teams continue.

Key Matchup: Mason Plumlee vs Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets have the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (116.4), in large part best of their do-it-all superstar Nikola Jokic. His flexibility and decision-making as the primary initiator of the Denver offense cannot be understated. If Mason Plumlee is going to mitigate the Joker's damage, he is going to need to remain supremely disciplined on defense and be prepared to play at all three levels with keen awareness.

2022-23 Team Stats

PPG: 115.7 (DEN), 110.1 (CHA)

RPG: 42.8 (DEN), 45.4 (CHA)

APG: 28.0 (DEN, 24.5 (CHA)

FG%: 50.7% (DEN), 44.3% (CHA)

3FG%: 39.0% (DEN), 32.4% (CHA)

FT%: 75.1% (DEN), 73.8% (CHA)

2020-21 Team Leaders (Returners only):

Minutes: Nikola Jokic - 32.6 (DEN), Terry Rozier - 37.0 (CHA)

FG%: DeAndre Jordan - 76.9% (DEN), Nick Richards - 60.4% (CHA)

3FG%: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 45.8% (DEN), LaMelo Ball - 37.9% (CHA)

PPG: Nikola Jokic - 24.6 (DEN), Terry Rozier - 21.8 (CHA)

RPG: Nikola Jokic- 10.3 (DEN), Mason Plumlee - 9.5 (CHA)

APG: Nikola Jokic - 9.0 (DEN), Terry Rozier - 5.7 (CHA)

SPG: Nikola Jokic - 1.5 (DEN), Kelly Oubre - 1.7 (CHA)

BPG: Aaron Gordon - 0.8 (DEN) , PJ Washington - 1.0 (CHA)

Stat key: PPG - points per game | RPG - rebounds per game | APG - assists per game | SPG - steals per game | BPG- blocks per game

Position	Hornets	Nuggets
PG	LaMelo Ball	Jamal Murray
SG	Terry Rozier	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF	Gordon Hayward	Bruce Brown
PF	Jalen McDaniels	Aaron Gordon
C	Mason Plumlee	Nikola Jokic

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