Hornets open 35th season with rousing start, beat Hawks

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Terry Rozier acknowledges the crowd during the Charlotte Hornets' 116-110 win against Atlanta Wednesday at Spectrum Center. Rozier scored 24 points for Charlotte.

The tip-off to Charlotte’s 35th NBA season was a winner.

Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington scored 24 and 25 points each in a 116-110 win against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center. But even with the veterans leading the way, second-overall pick Brandon Miller’s late-game eight-point spurt gave Charlotte the lead for good.

“We’re so happy (for) Brandon, just being a young guy and not getting down on himself after the misses. He turned the game around for us, and I told him that,” Rozier said. “We got the win, and that’s the most important thing.”

Head coach Steve Clifford told reporters that he wished Charlotte had an extra week of preparation before the opener, and despite 11 first-half turnovers and 19 total, the Hornets assisted on 34 of their 43 baskets, a feat they team achieved just once in 82 games a season ago.

“The biggest thing was that I just liked our attitude. We fought hard, and we hung in the game down 11,” Clifford said. “Our physicality in the second half was better than the first half, and a bunch of guys made big plays in the fourth quarter.”

Despite being late to the party, Charlotte’s $260 million man LaMelo Ball found his stroke in the second half, connecting on four three-pointers and dishing ten assists to overcome a troublesome first half without a field goal. In his first in-game action since March, Ball added 15 points and six rebounds. Ball has now connected on a three-pointer in 52 games in a row and is the youngest player in NBA history with a streak of at least 50 games.

Ball was cleared for contact just over a month ago, and Charlotte will need the former all-star to find his stride with the absence of Miles Bridges for at least the next nine games. Missing Bridges, as well as five reserves: James Bouknight (left knee surgery), Cody Martin (left knee soreness), Bryce McGowens (ankle sprain), Frank Ntilikina (broken leg) and Ish Smith (coach’s decision), Clifford still went 10-deep in the rotation in the first half alone.

So, how will Clifford and the Hornets navigate the early season slate missing multiple key contributors? Opening night was a good indicator.

New faces contribute early

First-round picks Nick Smith Jr. and Brandon Miller made their NBA debuts Wednesday, with the latter first off the bench and connecting on his first shot from beyond the arc – a deep 30-footer from the left wing. While his first three-pointer will continue to make its rounds on social media, it was a step-back three in the corner that was the play of the night.
“I think you can see tonight where he is not like most guys his age,” Clifford said. “He got in foul trouble in the first half, which some guys can’t come back. He made huge, huge plays in the fourth quarter, and if you watch him, he’s got great self-confidence.”

Said Miller: “I think that’s what got me going.

When asked if he knew the step-back shot was going in as soon as he let it go, Miller needed just one word: “Definitely.”

Smith Jr. was the lone Hornet to play (43 seconds) and not record a field goal. With so many injuries in the backcourt, the Hornets’ front office elected to bring back Concord native Ish Smith for a second stint in Charlotte, after playing a reserve role on the Denver Nuggets’ 2022-23 title team. Smith, a Central Cabarrus High School alumnus, will be asked to contribute right away with Theo Maledon for the backup point guard position. Maledon was serviceable in the opener, adding four points and four assists splitting ball-handling duties with Rozier to spell Ball.

Charlotte considered trade options for various veteran guards in the Eastern Conference, but ultimately brought Smith back to add a veteran presence.

“I think he can add in a lot of ways – not just on the court but in the locker room,” Clifford said pre-game. “If you really look at it, he’s had an incredible career. I was looking at his numbers the other day. He averaged just under seven points per game in college and went undrafted, yet he’s had this 13-year NBA career where he’s been a really good player and played on some really good teams. Obviously, he got a ring last year. Super high character, great teammate, and like I said, I think he can help us both on the court and just with his presence being around a younger team.”

Man in the middle

With so much uncertainty around the Hornets’ franchise, one thing is for sure – Charlotte has its center of the future.

Second-year player Mark Williams added nearly 15 pounds in the off-season and has solidified himself as Clifford’s defensive anchor. Williams scored Charlotte’s first basket of the season and finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and three steals, highlighted by his one-handed snatch block on Atlanta guard Trae Young right before the half.

The most important stat? A team-best plus-19 when Williams was on the court, returning to action following a thumb surgery in June.

After the conclusion of the preseason, Williams said Charlotte’s physicality needed attention. “Obviously, the wins and losses don’t count, but you can take away something from those games,” Williams said following a 28-point loss in the preseason finale against Boston. “I think the physicality piece was what we needed to learn.”

Williams kept that energy in the opener, connecting on five of six shots and seeking contact against Hawks’ big man Clint Capela.

“During (his recovery), I was unable to use my right hand; I got a lot of left-hand work, which was probably a blessing in disguise,” Williams said at media day. “I feel comfortable guarding anybody.”
Clifford matched many of Williams’ minutes with Capela, resulting in a minus-19 plus-minus for the Hawks’ 6-foot-10 big man. After totaling 11 double-doubles in 44 appearances in his rookie year, Williams added another to his total in his first game back, moving his total to four straight – the longest of his young career.

Moving forward

Winning game one was key for Charlotte, and early production from Miller adds another element to a team Clifford said is the “most talented” he’s coached. If Miller continues to progress, he will likely eat into Gordon Hayward’s minutes, which could bode well for the Hornets, with Hayward not playing more than 50 games over three seasons in Charlotte.

With Bridges’ return looming and a myriad of injuries to the backcourt, Clifford will have a chance to tinker with various lineups with younger players to gain experience before likely heading to Greensboro to join the Swarm.

After an injury-plagued, 27-win season, Rozier was pleased to see a near-packed house for the opener.

“We definitely thank the fans,” he said. “We noticed a big difference between this year and last year. We expect the fans to help us out and be here all season long but thank you to them.”

Charlotte’s three-game homestand continues Friday night against the Detroit Pistons, led by first-year head coach Monty Williams, who spent the previous four seasons in Phoenix.

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