This won’t be the prettiest game in the world, but it could still be entertaining as the Hornets take on the Raptors. Both teams have struggled to find wins right out of the gate, with Toronto struggling to find perimeter scoring. Fundamentally, the Raptors are still a strong team. Their most significant issue is the lack of a true playmaker. They run most of their possessions through Scottie Barnes, a solid playmaker for his position, but it’s showing in their turnovers. They lead the league in turnovers at 20 a game! Beyond that, they are in the bottom 6 in 3%. However, there is a lot to like about this team; they are solid rebounders and have managed to keep games close. They are clearly missing one last piece that could make this team a real threat. Even missing Scottie Barnes in this matchup we still think Toronto can surprise some people.
On the other side, the Hornets have looked like a more complete team. It can’t be understated how much this team needs LaMelo Ball, as he has been a driving force for them. Even though their early season has begun rough, they’re in a good position to make some waves this year. Unfortunately, they're missing one of their main pieces in this matchup, with Brandon Miller sidelined with a strained left glut. However, Tre Mann has picked it up in his absence, showing he’s got something to prove, averaging 18 points in this young season. This game will be close, but we think this is a sneaky-good Raptors matchup. With the absence of Mark Williams and Brandon Miller, we believe the size advantage could give Toronto a leg up on an already injured Hornets team.
Well, we saw this matchup the other night and had it as one of our favorite lines. Unfortunately, no one told us Curry wasn’t out, but just changed his name to Buddy Hield because, wow, did he light it up. Shooting 7-11 from 3 during the Warriors’ last game against the Pelicans. The Warriors shot 45% from 3, which is incredible with Curry on the bench. However, we don’t think this will happen again, as that performance seems unsustainable for most of this roster. Hell, even Moses Moody shot 5-6 from 3, this team couldn’t miss.
The fantastic shooting was punctuated by a stunning lack of ball security from the Pelicans, who had 24 turnovers compared to the 7 from the Warriors. Even though this was an extremely sloppy game from the Pels, Williams and Ingram both had stellar performances. They combined for 61 of the Pels' total points on great shooting splits. Unfortunately, the rest of the team was quiet in their efforts to help. By the end of their first matchup, the Warriors walked away with a comfortable victory, 124 to 106.
We don’t see this happening again, though. With the Pels as the dogs in this one, we think they’ll bounce back, and the Warriors will cool off. If the Warriors return to average shooting and the Pels tighten up their possessions, this one will at least be close.
The Knicks have yet to emerge as the dominant, fun team we all hoped for. Instead, some obvious growing pains have shown their ugly face early. That should be expected, adding two new starters to the mix, but still starting 1-2 isn’t ideal. However, the Knicks season doesn’t get any easier tonight, as they’re on the road in Miami.
The Heat have looked great after a rough season opener against the Magic. All though, that may be due to their competition. Jimmy has looked stellar in their last two games, following a worrying performance in their first game. Even though this is a home game for Miami, they’re the dogs in this matchup, which we don’t understand. As the more experienced team, and on their home court, we expect Miami to match up well against the Knicks.