The Hornets may be the hidden gem of the NBA.
The Charlotte Hornets epitomize both college and pro basketball right now, with a roster of not-so-familiar names of guys who can really play the game.
UNC alum Mitch Kupchak is the team’s general manager who is building a roster that is for real.
A one-time Gregg Popovich assistant, head coach James Borrego has the Hornets playing the San Antonio Spurs style of passing more than dribbling and finding men in constant motion for open shots.
With cool jerseys that say Buzz City, the Hornets are in the thick of the NBA playoff race without perhaps their two best players, forward Gordon Hayward and 19-year-old point guard LaMelo Ball, as well as former Kentucky guard Malik Monk, all out indefinitely with injuries.
Unless you’re a true basketball maven, you didn’t realize that Miles Bridges from Michigan State and Terry Rozier, from Louisville, are underrated players who are leading the Hornets to big victories like Sunday’s nationally televised win over the struggling Celtics, whose point guard is former Hornets star Kemba Walker.
Bridges and Rozier have picked up the slack from Haywood’s 20-point average in making big basket after big basket in clutch situations. Rozier leads the team in scoring and is now being mentioned as a possible all-NBA selection at the end of the season.
Charlotte Hornets’ Miles Bridges dunks during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Charlotte is one of the youngest teams in the league, as well, with Haywood the only one among the top 12 players who has reached the age of 30. Ball, the second of the three ballyhooed brothers from LA, is turning out to be the best of them after having played only one year overseas after high school.
Kupchak has built a roster that may last for years, one capable of challenging teams like the Celtics for a perennial playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
In fact, in his 8th year, Celtics coach Brad Stevens is on somewhat of a hot seat in New England and is the subject of rumors regarding his return to college basketball, even though the former Butler coach already turned down a $70 million offer from Indiana University in his home state.
I’ll be back later this week with the hottest local rumor regarding Stevens and guess who!
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines