The Hornets begin pivotal five-game homestand with divisional foe

Charlotte attempts to steal a win versus division opponent.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

INJURY REPORT:

HORNETS: OUT - Tre Mann (Low Back), Miles Bridges (R Knee), Daquan Jeffries (R Hand), Nick Richards (R Rib), Grant Williams (R ACL), Mark Williams (L Foot)

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

Game Preview

The Hornets have been hanging tough with their opponents as of late, but with Orlando coming to town, it might be a rough game to compete against with an already shorthanded roster.

The Magic have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference despite Paolo Banchero's absence. Orlando has won its last eight out of nine games and is third in the Eastern Conference.

The main factor in Orlando's recent success has been the play of Franz Wagner. Wagner has been playing at a ridiculous level this season, as he's averaging 28.3 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in his last 10 games.

For the Hornets, despite some of their key players missing time, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are currently playing the best basketball of their career. The duo is averaging a combined 77.5 points per game in their last two games, which is one of the craziest stat lines you'll see from the Hornets this season, or so we think.

After a slow start, Brandon Miller has really taken off. He's poured in more than 29 points in each of his last three, including a career-high 38 points versus Detroit in the process. Ball has been playing at an All-NBA level all season but just accumulated a career-high 50 points in his last game, which increases his average points per game to over 30 for the season.

Despite the marvelous play from the two players, it hasn't been enough for the Hornets to get into the win column as much as they'd want. Missing Tre Mann, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and now Grant Williams for the season makes it much more difficult for this Hornets team to compete each and every night.

While the Hornets aren't getting much healthier, the Magic are, as they potentially could get back their starting center in Wendell Carter Jr., who has averaged around eight points and nine rebounds on the season. Unfortunately, he has missed time with a foot injury that has kept him out since November 3rd. Carter Jr is questionable for the contest versus the Hornets.

One potential encouraging sign for the Hornets is the differential between both teams when playing at home versus away. The Hornets are 5-3 at home, but 1-7 away from the Spectrum Center. The Magic are an impressive 8-0 at home, but are a lackluster 3-7 on the road. Whatever the difference may be, the Hornets must take advantage.

Key Matchup: Franz Wagner versus Hornets

The last time these two teams squared off, it simply wasn't close as Franz Wagner torched the Hornets in a 25-point loss for Charlotte. Wagner had 32 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in the matchup. In the only loss for the Magic in their last nine games, Wagner had a stinker of a game with 14 points versus the Clippers.

Will the Hornets hold him to under 14? Most likely not, but if they can contain him, then surely they should have a chance. Now the issue is, who will match up with Wagner? The Hornets could put Miller, or Josh Green defending him, or potentially Cody Martin, but it's going to take an overall team effort to take Wagner off of his typical rhythm and game.

Outside of Wagner, the Magic have a couple of players who can shoot the ball, but if I were the Hornets, I would take my chances of taking the ball out of the 23-year-old's hands.

Projected Starting Lineups

Position	Charlotte Hornets	Orlando Magic
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Jalen Suggs
Shooting Guard	Josh Green	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Tristan Da Silva
Power Forward	Tidjane Salaun	Franz Wagner
Center	Moussa Diabate	Wendell Carter Jr

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