If LaMelo, Knuppel and Miller are in the starting lineup, it will be 15 wins and 7 losses.
On January 26th, the Hornets defeated the 76ers 130-93, recording their first three-game winning streak of the season. Due to the cold wave that hit the United States, tip-off was moved up four hours, and there were many empty seats in the stands. It will be difficult for fans to attend the game, which was suddenly held during the day on a weekday, and tickets can be transferred to another game. Still, fans who made time for work or other commitments to attend the Spectrum Center were able to watch the Hornets’ performance overthrow the Sixers, who had lost 11 straight games since 2022.
“I would like to sincerely thank the fans who came to support us despite the bad weather. I would also like to thank everyone involved in the game management. Despite the various adverse conditions, the atmosphere in the arena was great,” said head coach Charles Lee.
Coach Lee explains the team’s recent good performance, saying, “A big factor is that we’ve been able to keep our opponents under 100 points with our defense.” “He displays a fighting spirit, accurately executes his defensive plan, and not only prevents shots from being taken, but also grabs rebounds to end possession. This has led to good offense.”
As usual, the Hornets’ team basketball has not matured due to an unusual number of injuries, and individual growth has been intermittent. However, now that the main players are together, it is especially important that the trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Conn Knuppel, who are the core of team basketball, are able to play consistently. This season, in games in which all three have started together, they have achieved a record of 15 wins and 7 losses.
Knuppel is known for his stability on offense and defense, and since the start of the season, he has supported the team with calm play that is not typical of a rookie, and he has been praised on a par with Cooper Flagg, his peer at Duke University. LaMelo is freed from the burden of leading the attack alone, and has demonstrated the versatility of being able to decide the game on his own and make those around him shine. Miller, now in his third year, has been on a roll, scoring over 20 points in seven consecutive games, and in this game against the Sixers, he scored 30 points, including six 3-point shots and an alley-oop in synchronization with LaMelo.
“Our strength is our pace and scoring in transition,” Miller said. “If you let your opponent run and exhaust their stamina in the first half, you’ll have a big advantage in the fourth quarter. But you don’t just run. You run while making choices about what plays you need to make to win. If we keep doing that, I’m confident we can win.”
Miller talks about his strong performance in making 3-point shots without hesitation in transition. “It’s all thanks to my teammates. Every time I step on the court, they push me to be better than I am now. I can’t always be perfect, but I can only thank my teammates for giving me confidence.”
In particular, the hotline with LaMelo is a factor that makes opposing defenses unable to stop Miller no matter how careful they are. “I don’t want to use injuries as an excuse in any team situation, but when LaMelo is on the court in full condition, opponents are scared. He’s our leader, and having him lead us is an invaluable asset to our young team.”
Although he has talent, Miller has often played based on his physical ability, but this season, his third season, is a period of maturity. He has become better able to read the movement of the defense and judge how to attack, and because there are opportunities to attack forcefully, turnovers often occur, but the number of complete errors in judgment has visibly decreased. I also learned the patience to stay focused even when I couldn’t play the way I wanted.
If the explosive power of a young team comes together, it will lead to a big win like this one against the Sixers. They are 8-6 this year, winning by over 20 points against the Thunder, Warriors, Nuggets, and Magic. With today’s victory, they tied last season’s 19 wins.
At 19 wins and 28 losses, the team is still far from the 50% winning percentage that would qualify for the playoffs, but the team’s goal is to advance to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. It must be said that they do not have the ability to advance in the postseason yet, but their experience should greatly support the growth of a young team.
