By Matt Gorry, hornets.com
Tune In
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Key Matchup: Kemba Walker vs. Brandon Knight
After the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight were two of the best available point guards left. With the eighth overall selection, the Detroit Pistons selected Knight, with Walker going next to Charlotte at No. 9. Their careers have been linked ever since… Walker has blossomed into one of the bright, young point guards in the game, coming off a career season in 2013-14 where he guided Charlotte into the playoffs. The UConn product tied a career-best with 17.7 points, while setting new marks in assists (6.1), rebounds (4.2) and 3-point percentage (33.3 percent). Walker averaged 13.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 boards over six starts, despite missing two games in the exhibition season… After spending two seasons in Detroit, Knight was traded to Milwaukee, where he had a breakout year in 2013-14. Knight led the Bucks with 17.9 points and 4.9 assists, while averaging 3.5 boards. The former Kentucky standout also set a career-high with a 42.2 percent field goal percentage… The key to this Opening Night matchup could hinge on whichever young point guards gets the better of the other.
Scouting the Hornets (0-0)
The Hornets finally make their much-anticipated return to the NBA on Oct. 29 against the Milwaukee Bucks – the first regular season game for the Charlotte Hornets in 12 years… Charlotte is coming off a 3-5 preseason slate, which included two wins over the Washington Wizards – a playoff squad from a year ago. The Hornets, one of the top defensive units in the league last season, held their opponents to a 98.1 clip during the preseason. Charlotte, which averaged 94.9 points, had eight players average at least 9.0 points, including five in double figures… All-NBA Third-Team selection Al Jefferson led the way with 14.0 points, while adding a team-high 7.4 rebounds with 11 blocked shots… Gary Neal was perhaps the story of the offseason for Charlotte, leading the team in scoring four of the eight contests and posting 12.5 points while going over 20 points three times… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continued to improve throughout the preseason, earning the starting nod in all eight games. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 10.8 points and 6.8 boards while shooting 43 percent from the floor (30-of-70). He also shot a team-high 36 free throws, converting 26… Prize free agent pick-up Lance Stephenson only played in four exhibition games while nursing a groin injury but posted a 10.8 scoring clip to begin his Charlotte career… Jannero Pargo saw action in six games and averaged 9.7 points, including a 16-point fourth-quarter against the Detroit Pistons… Rookie first-rounder P.J. Hairston proved to Head Coach Steve Clifford he could be a viable scoring option off the bench, averaging 9.6 points while appearing in all eight games. The North Carolina product shot a team-high 42.1 percent from 3-point range (16-of-38)… Brian Roberts showed the depth the team has at the point guard position, averaging 9.0 points while shooting nearly 40 percent from the floor (27-of-68)… Cody Zeller showed signs of improvement heading into his second season in the NBA, averaging 6.9 points, including 18 against the Chicago Bulls. The 7-footer added a team-high 47.7 percent shooting percentage (21-of-44)… Veteran free agent acquisition Marvin Williams started seven of the eight games for the Hornets, averaging 5.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. The former UNC standout added a team-high 12 steals… Jason Maxiell, who came over late in the summer, scored 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in five appearances… Noah Vonleh, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, missed the first six exhibition games but made his debut in Atlanta on Oct. 20, scoring four points on 2-of-5 shooting with four boards and two steals… Bismack Biyombo saw action in seven games, including one start, averaging 3.6 points and 5.4 rebounds… Gerald Henderson, a potential starter, missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury.
Scouting the Bucks (0-0)
Coming off a 15-67 season, Milwaukee made two big moves during the offseason. With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Bucks selected consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year Jabari Parker from Duke. A few days later, Milwaukee reached a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Head Coach Jason Kidd. Kidd, who spent 19 years playing in the league and guided the Nets to the Eastern Conference Semifinals as the sixth-seed in his first season as a head coach… The Bucks head into the season as the youngest team in the NBA with three teenagers (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damien Inglis and Jabari Parker) and only three players over the age of 26 (Jared Dudley, Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia) on their roster… Last season’s leading scorer, Brandon Knight,returns at the point guard position. Knight averaged nearly 18 points (17.9) a year ago to go along with 4.9 assists… Antetokounmpo looks to take the next step in his second season in the league. Coming off an appearance in the 2014 FIBA World Cup with Greece, Antetokounmpo is trying to build on a 6.8 point, 4.4 rebound and 1.9 assist-clip in his rookie season… Khris Middleton had a breakout sophomore season, averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.0 minutes… Reserve players Kendall Marshall and John Henson were teammates of Charlotte’s P.J. Hairston at North Carolina in 2011-12.