Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Hornets Pre-Game Report
Nov 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) in the fourth quarter against Brooklyn Nets guard Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) and forward Trevor Booker (35) at Barclays Center. Hornets win 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets will travel to Charlotte for the second half of their back-to-back to take on the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are a team the Nets have beaten this season on that wonderful shot by Randy Foye.
The Brooklyn Nets look to pick up where they left off against the Charlotte Hornets; with a win. The last time these two teams faced was the last second shot by Randy Foye to give Brooklyn the win. After that win, though, Brooklyn has looked high and low for another one.
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Brooklyn has lost 12 straight games since that buzzer-beating wonder. They now come in to Charlotte beat down and tired, especially after playing a game down in New Orleans against the Pelicans last night.
One little fun tidbit about these two teams. Jeremy Lin, the former Hornet received more fan All-Star votes than starting guard for the Hornets, Kemba Walker, did. Lin finished in eighth place among Eastern Conference guards.
All in all, this should be a good competitive game. Both games have been a lot of fun to watch this season and this one really should not be any different.
Nov 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) looks to pass the ball against Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) and forward Spencer Hawes (00) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
Keys to Victory
1. Points in the paint
If Brooklyn stands a chance, they need to score points in the paint. Cody Zeller is a good player, but he is no Anthony Davis. After going head-to-head with Davis last night, Brook Lopez and Trevor Booker will be thankful for Zeller. Brooklyn will need to feed their big guys down low as much as they could. On top of that, players like Bojan Bogdanovic need to drive to the basket more often than spotting up for the jumper. Draw fouls, make your free-throws, get in the bonus early.
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2. Slow down Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker, despite what the fans think, is an amazing basketball player. He won a National Championship at UConn practically by himself and he is leading this team after being there for a few years by himself. Walker can score a bunch of points really quickly and he can do it from anywhere on the floor. The Nets need to hope their young point guards can keep up with Walker and disallow him from getting into a flow and finding his stroke. If Walker does, he can and will burn the Nets.
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3. Bench production
The Hornets have a pretty solid bench. Players like Roy Hibbert and Frank Kaminsky can come in and provide a spark. Hibbert is a really big body down low that will make it tough to grab rebounds and Kaminsky is a great scorer and has a great jump shot. Brooklyn, when the subs come in, will need to make sure they account for Charlotte’s solid bench play with productive bench play of their own. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert will need to be ready to go in this game to counteract the strong bench play from Charlotte.
Players to Watch:
Brooklyn:
Caris LeVert. The rookie is always a player to watch for Nets fans as he is a glimpse into the future. But, coming off of a game last night, LeVert will be due for minutes. Fans should expect a good dose of LeVert and even someone like Quincy Acy in this game to provide energy and productivity.
Charlotte:
Kemba Walker. Walker is an electric player to watch. Kemba has the ability to change the game in just a few shots and good defensive play. If Walker is on his game, Brooklyn will have significant issues. If he is off, maybe the chance for a win goes up.
Nov 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) looks to pass against Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Hornets win 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Starting Lineups
Brooklyn:
Charlotte:
Injuries:
Brooklyn:
Charlotte:
Key Matchup:
The key matchup in the game will be Nicolas Batum against Bojan Bogdanovic. These two shooters have either great nights or not so great nights. Batum and Bogdanovic both have the potential to light it up from downtown at any given moment. This will be a key matchup in the sense that both players are the secondary scorers on their teams after the superstars in Brook Lopez and Kemba Walker.
The game will be broadcast on YES Network and on Fox Sports Go at 8:00PM EST. Join the conversation on Twitter by tweeting @NetsBogFS.
