Charlotte Hornets player grades from opening night win over Pacers
Well, that’s one way to open up the regular season.
The Charlotte Hornets hold off the Indiana Pacers at the buzzer, 123-122, as Domantas Sabonis misses a fadeaway jumper over the stretched hands of P.J. Washington.
The Pacers had their hands all over this one, jumping out to a 23-point lead, but a 24-0 run by the Hornets, led by LaMelo, in the third quarter, got Charlotte back in the game.
LaMelo Ball led the way for the Hornets with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals on 11-of-23 shooting and 7-of-9 from 3-point range.
Gordon Hayward got hot in the fourth quarter, finishing with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Miles Bridges added 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block as he filled the stat sheet.
Check out the individual player grades below.
LaMelo Ball: A+
It doesn’t get any better than what LaMelo did tonight for the Hornets. LaMelo put his stamp on this game early and that ink just continued to spread. When the Hornets were down by more than 20 points, it was Ball who began knocking down shots from deep to begin the 24-0 run in the third quarter.
If this is the kind of jump that we can expect from LaMelo on the scoring side of the ball, on top of his elite playmaking ability, the Hornets are going to be a team to be reckoned with in at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: C+
Stepping in for Terry Rozier in a spot start, Kelly Oubre Jr. was just fine. The energy and defensive activity is always going to be there from Oubre, but the shot making wavered on Wednesday, hitting only 2-of-9 from 3-point range.
Obviously, Rozier brings a much different dynamic to the starting lineup but for scoring 14 points in roughly 35 minutes, you can’t hate on Oubre’s effort tonight.
Gordon Hayward: A-
Hayward was awesome tonight, point blank. The scoring punch that he provided down the stretch was crucial to Charlotte’s victory, dropping 18 second-half points, including 14 in the final frame.
The basketball IQ is top notch with Hayward and playing alongside as crafty of a player like LaMelo just adds to the potential of this Hornets roster — when healthy.
Miles Bridges: B+
This is the kind of stuff that Miles Bridges does.
He was everywhere on Wednesday against the Pacers. He affects every aspect of the game on both ends of the floor with his energy and activity.
The range at which Bridges can play with, whether on the wing or as a big, adds so much variety to James Borrego’s lineups.
If the 3-ball is consistently hitting for Bridges, which he hit 1-of-4 tonight, he’s going to make himself a good chunk of cash next summer.
Mason Plumlee was solid in his Hornets debut. He did exactly what you want from Mason Plumlee: finished easy buckets at the basket, grabbed double-digit rebounds, and made smart passes out of the posts which led to easy points.
With the ability to spread the floor like the Hornets do, having a passing big like Plumlee down low can help create even more open looks, whether that’s dumping it down to him to create or coming off an offensive rebound.
P.J. Washington: C+
P.J. Washington, who started most of last season, came off the bench tonight and struggled offensively, shooting only 1-of-7 from the floor. But, his activity in other aspects of the game is what left in impact.
Washington grabbed 5 rebounds and dished 3 assists, but most importantly, he closely contended the game-winning attempt from Domantas Sabonis, which clanked off the rim.
Washington will find his groove offensively, so no need to worry in game No. 1.
Ish Smith: B+
Ish Smith was really solid against the Pistons. The journeyman finds himself backing up a star in LaMelo and really played well in just over 21 minutes. Smith finished with 14 points and 5 assists on 7-of-14 shooting.
When LaMelo needs a breather, and specifically tonight when Terry Rozier isn’t available to potentially hold down some of those lead guard minutes, having a true veteran in Smith is a nice backup plan to have for James Borrego.
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