Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Game Preview

Can the Hornets stop their losing streak at home against the Wizards?

Game 11: Washington Wizards (4-6) vs Charlotte Hornets (3-7)

The Charlotte Hornets have been struggling in recent games to get anything going offensively since the second half of the Sacramento Kings' game last Monday night. Injuries may have caught up with them as they haven't been able to keep the momentum going after an impressive start to the season without a few key players. The team welcomed Terry Rozier back to the court on Saturday night, as he scored 25 points in 36 minutes against the Nets. Even more help is on the way, Steve Clifford continues to say that Cody Martin and LaMelo Ball are getting closer and closer to a return to the court.

The team will most likely be shorthanded again in this one, but it marks a very critical point in this young season. The Wizards are going to be one of the teams the Hornets are battling with to obtain a spot in the play-in tournament. An early season win at the Spectrum Center against this team without their best player would be a huge victory to look back on. Getting an early advantage in the season series could prove to be very beneficial as they get some of their players back from injury and attempt to make a run.

The key player to focus in on as it always is when playing this Wizards team is Bradley Beal had he not entered health and safety protocols. He is having an excellent start to the season, averaging over 21 points per game while shooting better than 50% from the floor. Monte Morris is the next most dangerous back court option for the Wizards, and Dennis Smith Jr will be tasked with slowing him down and making it difficult to get into their offensive sets. Kristaps Porzingis is also having a very strong start to the season for Washington, averaging just about 20 points per game and shooting 50% from the field. Look for Nick Richards to receive more minutes in this one as his length and mobility will be needed to make it difficult for Porzingis.

Kelly Oubre Jr and PJ Washington will need to have big games offensively if the Hornets are going to come out of this one with a win. Without Ball and with Rozier getting back in the swing of things, other players have to have an important role for Charlotte on the offensive end of the court. The team needs Oubre to have one of his hot shooting nights and Washington needs to continue to show his expanded offensive game. It's been discussed often, but the more Washington can create shots for himself and others, the better this Hornets team can become. Missing a play maker like Ball adds more pressure on others, especially PJ, to become a focal point for the offense. Center, Mason Plumlee, is averaging the second most assists (just over four per game) on the team. Charlotte needs other players to step up and help teammates get open shots if they want to snap out of the offensive funk they have been in. As mentioned earlier, Dennis Smith Jr has been far better than anyone could have expected in almost every area of the game, but he is going to need someone other than Plumlee to help him create open shots for others.

Most Important Area to Watch

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, but team assists are the most important area to watch Monday night. The Hornets are averaging about three more assists per game than Washington on the season, and they are going to need that to continue in this one. The Hornets are sitting at 26th in the league currently in field goal percentage at 45%, and a huge component of that is the lack of creation on offense in recent games. It's been noticeable how much over dribbling is going on, resulting in tough contested shots. It's really hard to win that way and the ball movement needs to improve. Getting Ball back who specializes in play-making will certainly help, but Charlotte needs others to step up as well. Assists are down for the team as a whole since the losing streak began, and it is crucial to improve in this area to begin to turn things around for this young Charlotte squad.

2022-2023 Team Stats

Points Per Game

WSH- 106.9

CHA- 110.0

FIeld Goal %

WSH- 46.5%

CHA- 44.5%

Assists Per Game

WSH- 23.7

CHA- 26.5

Rebounds Per Game

WSH- 43.5

CHA- 46.0

Washington's 2022-2023 Active Individual Stat Leaders:

Points Per Game: Kristaps Porzingis (19.2)

Assists Per Game: Monte Morris (5.1)

Rebounds Per Game: Kristaps Porzingis (8.2)

Blocks Per Game: Kristaps Porzingis (1.3)

Charlotte's 2022-2023 Active Individual Stat Leaders:

Points Per Game: Terry Rozier (24.0)

Assists Per Game: Dennis Smith Jr (5.8)

Rebounds Per Game: Mason Plumlee (8.1)

Blocks Per Game: PJ Washington (1.5)

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