While they haven’t been the worst team in the NBA this season, the Charlotte Hornets have spent much of the 2023-24 campaign in the league’s basement. But the team has hit a mini-hot streak recently, and could finally be climbing out of the deep hole that they’ve dug for themselves.
NBA: Hornets Have Won 3 Straight Since Williams Trade
The Hornets are 3-0 in the Grant Williams era pic.twitter.com/YvYxlbAuV3
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 15, 2024
They haven’t had a 28-game losing streak like the Pistons. They haven’t been the laughingstock that the Wizards have been. But the Hornets have endured some embarrassing stretches so far this year, including a recent 10-game skid that began in late January, dropping their record to 10-41. They were tied for the 4th-fewest wins in the NBA.
Then they made a trade. At the deadline, the Hornets made a deal with the Mavericks, bringing in forward Grant Williams, who had fallen out of favor in Dallas.
He has made an immediate impact, and Charlotte has in turn been winning games. He finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds in his debut against the Grizzlies on Saturday, which included three 3-pointers in a 115-106 victory. Two nights later, he led the Hornets attack with 21 points against the Pacers, and his team was able to overcome an underdog listing of 10.5 points.
They were heavy underdogs in their most recent game, too, but made the oddsmakers look foolish by defeating the Hawks by a score of 122-99. Williams had his first double-double with the team, putting in 15 points and adding 10 rebounds, again off of the bench.
Too Little Too Late, But Playing For Respect At This Point
The new look Charlotte Hornets are 3-0 pic.twitter.com/YyBjS8wyfz
— Buzz (@buzz_szn) February 15, 2024
Since Williams has had such an impact, it would be assumed that he would be moving into the starting lineup once he is fully acclimated. But due to the success and the team’s recent rise out of the NBA basement, they may be looking to ride out the current rotations until it needs fixing.
The team’s star guard, LaMelo Ball, is still dealing with the same injury that has hampered him all season long. He returned for a handful of games in January before re-aggravating the ankle, and has missed the last 10 games for the Hornets. The team is hopeful that he can return after the NBA All-Star break, which would give them some added firepower down the home stretch.
The Hornets obviously have too many losses to make any kind of meaningful run, but they can at least end the year on a respectable note if they are able to continue their recent success.
The team will have a wildly tough stretch when they return to action next week. Six of their next seven games will be played on the road, a span of games that includes contests against the Warriors, 76ers, Jazz, and Bucks twice.
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