Hornets vs Warriors Prediction
When: 10:00 PM EST
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
Stream NBALeague pass
Hornets vs Warriors Prediction: A Look at Golden State
The 2020-2021 season has been rough for the Warriors so far. The current roster is a shell of the dominant teams we saw in the 2010s. The few remaining holdovers are Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson (OFS). Golden State holds an 18-15 record overall, that just barely has them in 8th place in a deep Western Conference.
An offseason achilles injury to Klay Thompson has sidelined him for the whole year. Thompson’s injury history should be concerning for the Warriors. Thompson hasn’t played in a game since the 2019 finals. Following that 2019 finals loss, the Warriors gave Thompson a five-year 190 million dollar extension. In the two years since Thompson has yet to play a game.
The Warriors are focused on developing young talent to complement their core players. Rookie James Wiseman has displayed all the talent that was hyped about leading to his top draft pick.
The 19-year-old rookie center who has been out since injuring his left wrist on Jan. 30, scored 14 points in 16 minutes against the Knicks on Tuesday, providing a jolt of energy down low that had been missing from the lineup.
Another bright spot for the retooling Warriors has been SG Kelly Oubre JR. Oubre came to the Warriors in a December trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This season Oubre has averaged 15 PPG, 1.5 AST, and 6 REB. Oubre’s 6 rebounds per game leads the Golden State Warriors.
Charlotte Hornets Season to Date
The Warriors feel comfortable with the way rookie James Wiseman has developed and see him as a solid player that can develop into a reliable starter.
The winners of the 2020 NBA draft seem to be the team who picked right after them. The Charlotte Hornets picked LaMelo Ball 3rd overall. Ball looks like a lock for ROTY and a future all-star.
Ball leads the Hornets across two categories this season, steals and assists. LaMelo averages 14.8 PPG, 6 REB, 6 ASST, and 1.5 steals. Ball’s 6 assist average has him ranked in the top 25 players.
It is great to see a rookie come in and run with the big dogs but for a team to rely on so much production out of a rookie their record shows.
The Hornets are 15-16 overall ranking 7th in the Eastern Conference. A late-game ejection of Draymond Green allowed the Hornets to win a close game against the Warriors last Saturday by a score of 102-100
Previous Warriors-Hornets Matchup
These teams met just last Saturday in a hard-fought game with the Hornets coming out on top. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 36 points, 20 in the fourth quarter alone. Kelly Oubre Jr. led Golden State with 25 points.
Steph Curry was pulled from warm-up following symptoms of a non-covid related illness. Curry is expected to play in the Friday night game.
Odd and Trends for the game
Moneyline: Warriors (-133) Hornets (+110)
Spread: Warriors (-2.5)
Total: O/U 232.5 (-110)
The Warriors are 17-16 on the season ATS, At home 10-7, Over under at home is 7-9-1
The Hornets are 17-13-1 ATS, 8-6 on the road, and the over/ under is 10-4
Having Curry back in the lineup will be the difference-maker for the Warriors. When Curry is on the court. The Dubs average 113.6 points per 100 possessions, which would rank ninth overall.
Without him, that number nosedives to 99.8, ranking dead last in the NBA. There is not a player on the Hornets who has the ability to shut down Curry. In last week’s game, the Hornets needed a late-game meltdown from Draymond Green to prevent overtime.
Expect the Warriors to cover the 2.5 point spread, The Warriors put up huge numbers when Curry is playing but their defense will be enough to keep the Hornets scoring down.
PICKS: Warriors -2.5, Under 232.5
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