Game Previews

Nets try to bounce back against Hornets

By Brian Fleurantin Nov 19, 2019, 11:37pm EST

Hey man, I don’t know what to tell you. Facing an injury-riddled Indiana Pacers team on Monday night, the Brooklyn Nets came out flat and fell down by over 20 points early. They fought back, but ultimately it didn’t matter as the Pacers won by a comfortable margin. It doesn’t matter how injured your team is. Can’t be out here taking losses like that.

The opponent tonight will be the Charlotte Hornets. Things are a lot different for the team now that Kemba Walker is gone, but they're doing their best to hang in there. The Hornets were in Toronto Monday night to play the Raptors, and promptly got smoked. It’s like that sometimes.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Tip off after 7:30.

Injuries

Kyrie Irving has missed the last two games with a right shoulder injury. He's out. Caris Levert and Wilson Chandler are also out. Same thing with that KD guy.

There’s increasing concern about the injury’s duration. “I don’t want to comment on that,” Kenny Atkinson said. “I think it’s way too early. I think it’s day-to-day right now. I think he’s working his tail off to get back. So, I definitely don’t want to speculate on the time frame.”

Meanwhile, Caris LeVert said his cast is off, clearing him for rehab. He’s likely out another month.

“I can still do lower-body lifts, some running, biking as well,” LeVert said. “Trying to just stay in shape as much as I can until I’m cleared to start dribbling and shooting.”

Nothing doing for Charlotte.

The game

Charlotte is gonna take a lot of L’s this year, but there’s plenty of room for hope in the Queen City. Over at At The Hive, Jonathan DeLong explains:

There is good in these losses. This iteration of the Hornets isn’t as laughably bad as many analysts thought they’d be before the season. They play competitive basketball, which is an accomplishment in and of itself when many of your key players are in their first or second seasons. This isn’t like the 2010-11 Bobcats team or the Process-era 76ers spearheaded by Michael Carter-Williams and Jahlil Okafor. There’s talent here. It’s not championship caliber talent, but it’s good talent.

Speaking of talent, PJ Washington is someone that the Hornets are hoping to build around in the future. The rookie has started every game for coach James Borrego’s squad and has been a bright spot so far. He and Miles Bridges make for an intriguing frontcourt duo that should get the bulk of the minutes for Charlotte going forward. Nicolas Batum recently made his season debut, but he might be best served coming off the bench on this roster at this point in his career.

Operation Let Joe Harris Shoot More is in full effect. Harris is one of the league's best shooters and with Brooklyn's two top scorers out, the shots are there for him. I said it last game, but you can't go wrong with giving Harris a chance to display more of his skills.

Player to watch: Terry Rozier

It’s hard to replace an All-Star. With Walker replacing Irving in Boston, Rozier came over in free agency to replace Walker. As one would expect when you become a starter, Rozier’s shot attempts have gone up. He’s averaging a career high in points and field goal percentage. He’s also getting to the rim more often than he did the last two years in Boston, and thus is getting to the free throw line more often as a result. He’s coughing the ball up more often, but that was to be expected with him taking on a new, full time role.

Spencer Dinwiddie will play a big role in Kenny Atkinson’s attack. Dinwiddie was the only Net who could get the ball in the basket and scored a game high 26 points on Monday night. He'll be the Nets lead scorijg option tonight and if he can keep the good streak of play going, he can hold the fort down until Irving is 100 percent.

From the Vault

Another one of those all around games from Jason Kidd

Nets try to bounce back against Hornets

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