Of note: we’ve outplayed them the last three quarters after the terrible 1st, so maybe HORSE works out!
Sudden death basketball feels weird.
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Thor! Maybe he can build on this.
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Thor! The streak ends!
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Maybe we should sign Shabazz for the summer league!
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MOAR THOR!!!
Super happy for JT, that had to be a confidence injection
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We did it we won a summer league game, the impossible!
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Such a stark contrast from last watching Celtics Warriors to Hornets summer league. And yet I can’t turn away from the train wreck.
I’m glad we’re emphasizing the devastating Richards/Crutcher pick and roll. Theres nothing like an overconfident minor leaguer controlling the ball for half the game and not finding anybody.
There’s no way Alexander shouldn’t take most of the pg minutes from now on.
Ok, Figueroa really hasn’t missed in 2 games? The basketball gods really owe us in the hidden gem lottery, cause we can never win the draft lottery or free agent lottery. Or trade lottery, or coach lottery.
If Kai was supposed to be the most promising prospect for summer league, can we not run some plays for him? 2 shots? Like is there a specific reason they’re not looking for him. He looked good I thought when he can catch it in the post and face up. And why isn’t he involved in pick and rolls instead of Nick?
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Seems Kai took all his shots game 1. Crazy he can shoot the ball that many times one game and the next, he we invisible.
Kai needs to “slow down”. Good for JT! Totally agree with the previous comments on playing Richard’s so much - there may be a method to their madness but I don’t like it. Our SL coaching is horrible. And finally trust the beard from UNC. Good night all.
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Tyshon is a Charlotte native, that’s pretty cool
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About Richards playing - there’s a new head coach that may want to see him first hand with things he wants him to focus on that are different than JB.
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This is what I don’t get. I understand that our PG situation is trash here but this is essentially the same level of competition and same level of PG play we had with the Swarm. The way Kai dominated in the G league I would expect a lot better than what I’ve seen so far.
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Kai played the 5 as the main PNR last year and theough 2 games I don’t recall them putting him in PNR lol
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What generally concerns me watching game 2 was the stark reminder of who Clifford was. This might be nothing and just scar tissue on my part but playing guys out of position almost exclusively feels like Cliff’s worst tendencies. I felt his last two years helming the Hornets were defined by putting guys in roles to not succeed. Overplaying Nick, when he’s a known entity, to force Kai to the 4 and Thor to the 3 is “Return to Clif Mountain” like stuff
This isn’t a dig against Nick, just against coaching directives.
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To piggyback off of The Big Eastley’s post,
Reading through this thread gives me a great sense of nostalgia-but not the good kind. More melancholy and sweet embrace of familiar, existential dread.
You could bring up various threads we post on year after year after year, dating back to Bobcatsplanet. And they’d look and read very similar. The same complaints. Similar problems. Groundhog Day over and over again, season after season. And to intensify it, we’ve brought back Clifford for a second go around.
Clifford gives a good interview, and I enjoyed listening to him on a basketball podcast (someone here posted it and I can’t remember the name of it). I think at the core, Cliff has a great basketball mind.
But gang. I’d be shocked if he’s drastically changed his ways. I’d love for him to surprise me, but I’d be shocked. I’m ready for much of the same Cliffdog.
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Signed Nick 1.7 million to play in summer league? Guess could need to see play to justify roster spot. Center needs to be able play now with other bigs needing more Swarm than Hornets time.
…but if so unsure need to see play in SL…no.
Kai looks like bust concern Kai from start last year b4 move to more center minutes. Guess after drafting Mark have to reboot and will see at Swarm Kai at 4 and Mark at 5. And that other center roster spot right now held by Nick has to be playable.
How much of the ‘playing players out of position’ thing in Summer League is a product of the roster composition and how much it is a Cliffism is tough to answer.
We don’t really have a lead Guard on the roster, and only really one Wing worth looking at seriously in Bryce. Thor’s a 4 who can play the 3, some. Kai’s a 5 who can play the 4, some. Feature both as your forward pairing, and it just doesn’t work. We lack the creativity that comes with good Guard and Wing play.
I can really relate to @powellrmp’s comment re. Cliff giving a good interview and having a real basketball mind … but the reality of what he puts on the floor doesn’t tend to match.
My fear is we have a plethora of young Bigs and not enough minutes for them, even in Summer League … which inevitably leads to seeing guys played out of position and the team, therefore, unable to function cohesively.
I think a team, the Swarm, not the Hornets, can function with Kai at the 4 and Williams at the 5, but we must have genuine Guards and Wings to make up what’s lacking in that Big pairing. I love Thor, but it’s unfair to expect him to compensate … it’s not his game. Play Thor & Richards, or Kai and Williams, but play wings on the wing and guards at the guard spots.
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