After a long and busy summer, the Charlotte Hornets are finally set to kick off the 2018-19 regular season by taking on the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at 7 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center.
The Hornets capped off a 4-1 preseason slate with a 123-118 victory in Dallas last Friday night. Over the course of this small, variable-ridden sample size, the team posted a 105.9 offensive rating, 101.3 defensive rating and 4.6 net rating, the last of which ranked 14th in the league.
A healthy Nic Batum has looked great for the Hornets in the preseason, particularly with his readjustment back to his natural position at small forward. The 10-year NBA veteran finished exhibition play with averages of 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.0 steal per 36 minutes over five outings.
While much of the attention will rightfully be on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Hornets also need to focus on Khris Middleton, who Batum calls, “One of the most underrated players in the league.” The Texas A&M product had a career-high 43 points in Charlotte last season and overall, averaged 30.5 points in four meetings with the Hornets.
Interesting Note – Hornets Head Coach James Borrego and Bucks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer both began their careers in the NBA as video coordinators with the San Antonio Spurs. Borrego worked for the organization from 2003-10 and 2015-18, while Budenholzer was there from 1996-2013.
Classic Fact - The largest regular season comeback in Charlotte franchise history came on Oct. 29, 2014 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hornets trailed by 24 points in the third quarter on opening night before rallying to win in overtime, 108-106.