Thoughts from Charlotte's fourth-straight win, a dominant win over an undermanned Kings squad.
Charlotte totally overwhelmed an undermanned Kings squad, pushing the pace for four quarters in an all-out assault that made up for the Hornets' 42 point loss in Sacramento last February. The win ran the team's win streak to four with a big-time matchup against the red-hot New York Knicks on Thursday evening at the Spectrum Center.
Below is a series of thoughts, highlights, and takeaways from the game, bundled into a neat package I like to callCharlotte has been lauded for the deadly guard-guard screening actions that Charles Lee has unleashed this season, and this one may take the cake for the most violent of the bunch. LaMelo was in his bag as a playmaker in the first half against Sacramento, and Miller put the finishing touches on his point guard's passing masterpiece with this slam.Use this box score as a reference when you refute someone's asinine point that all NBA teams play the same -- the Hornets nearly made as many threes as Sacramento attempted. Tonight's battle in Uptown was a clash of styles, with Charlotte's perimeter-heavy attack dominating the Kings who lived in the paint on offense. Coming into the game these team's were on the opposite ends of the three-point attempt per game spectrum. Charlotte's 44.5% shot frequency from behind the arc was second to only Golden State in the league, whereas Sacramento's 30.6% number was bottom in the league.Where does LaMelo Ball rank in the NBA point guard hierarchy right now? His two-way impact during this home stand has been astounding, with Ball running the Hornets' offense to perfection and making plays on defense with timely rebounds and deflections. He spent the majority of tonight's contest just toying with Kings bigs who switched onto him on the perimeter, putting Patrick Baldwin and Maxime Raynaud in a blender with his saucy handle and parking-lot range.Sacramento only had eight players available tonight, and Moussa made it a point to pound the handful of suited-up Kings into submission. Coby White has been as advertised. When Charlotte acquired White from Chicago at the trade deadline I pointed to the North Carolina native's acument as a three-point shooter as the major reason for the trade. Since coming to Charlotte, White has been great as a downhill driver, both finishing through contact and spraying the ball out to three-point shooters, but his three-point shot has taken a few weeks to come online. He knocked down six of eight attempts tonight, impacting the game on offense with his well-rounded skill set that has completely transformed the Hornets' bench units.Lineups that include both Kalkbrenner and White are blitzing opposing teams. Coming into the game, the the Hornets had a +15.2 net rating when those two shared the floor. In the first quarter against Sacramento, their synergy was on full display, with White scoring back-to-back buckets in transition after Kalkbrenner contested a shot at the rim on the other end.The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Ball continues to stack winning plays nightly, impacting the game with defensive effort, a magnetic attachment to loose balls, while still sprinkling in one-of-a-kind flair.The number of games a few players like Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Anthony Edwards play down the stretch could impact their eligibility for end-of-season awards which could allow Ball to earn the prestigious honor. According to Dunks and Threes EPM, Ball has been the seventh-most impactful offensive player in the league this season. If he makes third-team All-NBA, it won't be solely due to his competitors dropping out. Ball would have earned it by leading the charge for one of the league's premier units.When the Hornets' get the ball humming like this, there's not much you can do to slow them down.Sion James is shooting greater than 40% from three since the calendar flipped to January, answering some of questions that people had about his ability to reach a baseline offensive threshold that didn't tank his defensive impact.Charlotte welcomes the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Boston Celtics to the Spectrum Center this week. Two shoo-in playoff teams, and one that they are jockeying for position with in the Eastern Conference's Play-In race. For the Hornets to continue to close the gap between them and the fifth-place Raptors, they'll need to finish with two wins in their final games of this home stretch.MATT ALQUIZA Email: Malquiza8gmail.com Twitter: @Malquiza8 UNC Charlotte graduate and Charlotte native obsessed with all things from the Queen City. I have always been a sports fan and I am constantly trying to learn the game so I can share it with you. I survived 7-59. I survived lost the Anthony Davis lottery. I survived Super Bowl 50. And I believe that the best is yet to come in Charlotte sports, let's talk about it together! Enlish degree with a journalism minor from UNC Charlotte. Written for multiple publications covering the Bobcats/Hornets, Panthers, Fantasy Football
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