Category: Game Previews

The Raptors are limping into this game without OG, VanVleet, Pascal, Flynn, and McCaw(COVID-ish). Teams sometimes can rally behind their bench players but the Raptors have not been one of those teams dropping their last three games, and five out of their last six. The Hornets on the other hand are healthy as hell and once again have a chance at getting over 500. The Raptors injuries might seem a lot worse than they actually are because of one fucking guy, Chris Boucher. This guy has had 45 points on 79% shooting in two wins against the Hornets this year. The problems Powell and Boucher have caused against us highlights (for the 10,000 time) the fact that we are a short ass team. I still think the Hornets will win this one tonight, as does Vegas (Hornets -2.5) probably because of superior guards.

Hornets Keys

Man up in the post – don’t let any of the Raptors back up big men push us around. They aren’t the best and shouldn’t get a whole lot of love from the refs based on ”legacy”.

Guard play – Kyle Lowry is no slouch, but LaMelo is longer, younger, and faster at this point in his career and should be able to create some transition buckets. The Hornets also have Monk, Graham, Rozier who can all get buckets.

Runs – Borrego doesn’t always like calling timeouts during runs, which I do not actually have a problem with; but maybe he should make some subs during the runs to try to break them up. Another option would be running the full court press as a set play on certain possessions, the press has worked great in desperate situations so we should give it some run earlier. 

Raptors Keys 

Big Men – Banes versus Zeller is a wash, but after that the Raptors still have Powell and Boucher. The Hornets counter that with Bismack Biyombo……

Bench Squad – The Raptors don’t have very much guard or wing depth tonight so they will need someone to step up because the Hornets bench is hungry and good as fuck.

The Hornets have one more game before the Allstar break to get back to where we belong, one game under 500… The Wolves are having a rough season(existence) in general, they probably thought they were going to get better when KAT returned but the Wolves have actually got worse. I’m not going to trash KAT too much because the guys been through a lot in the last year or so but I simply just don’t think KAT is a winner. I have been all the way out on the Timberwolves since they ran Jimmy out of town for competing too hard and tenaciously. For fucks sake look at what Thibs has done with the KNICKS.

Zeller and Graham will probably sit this one out because of the week long break for the Allstar game so it will be a shit show of a matchup size wise for the Hornets but the Wolves are so bad that it likely won’t matter. I do kind of respect how much time they’re letting their young guys play but its clear that won’t win them many games this year. I think the Wolves are the first team of the year to start actively tanking. Anthony Edwards is absolutely chucking up shots, regardless of the rate they go in.

Shout out to being in the central time zone at least, mother fuck that 10:30pm start in Portland.

Hornets Keys

Rebound aggressively – It seemed like every time we actually got a stop versus Portland we allowed them to eeek out an offensive rebound

Biz and Martin– our lack of depth at > 6’6” is getting these two big time minutes, we just need them to not mess up too bad and grab some boards

Timberwolves Keys

I don’t even think they care

A LOT of injuries to unpack here so i’ll list them to start

Hornets– Devonte’ Graham, Cody Zeller, Caleb Martin

Kings– Tyrese Haliburton, Hasan Whiteside, Chimezie Metu, Jabari Parker

LaMelo versus Fox should make for a fun matchup on the court and maybe even more fun off the court with the dad battle between Aaron Fox(yes Aaron named his son De’Aaron, swag) and LaVar Ball.The Hornets have been doing their best to stay near 500 and have been 5-5 in their last ten games. The Kings on the other hand have been shitting the bed and are 1-9 in their last ten. Oh well the Kings are young and building, i’m sure the guys are coming together and learning how to play together. Ehhh, or maybe Aaron Fox is out there demanding the Kings trade Marvin Bagley III.

Hornets Keys

Gordon Hayward – The team could use a 30 pointer tonight, please?

Starting lineup and rotation – Just fucking start Bridges and if we are going to give McDaniels a whirl we might as well give him a bunch of Martin minutes because we know what Martin(s) is.

Press??? Maybe we should try the press when the game isn’t already over, it seems to work, midas whale try to use it

Kings Keys

Size Size Size – Whiteside might be out, but it’s 2021 and that doesn’t really mean shit. Harrison Barnes would be our 2nd biggest player if he was on the Hornets. I have a bad feeling Butler is going to crush us as well. Y’all want to trade? Maybe Aaron was right.