By Sam Perley, hornets.com
The second playoff appearance for the Charlotte Hornets in three seasons will bring with it a familiar face as the team will be paired up once again with the Miami Heat in the first round just like it was in 2014. Although the Heat took care of Charlotte two years ago via a series sweep, both teams are immensely different today and hopefully for the Hornets’ sake, the results will be as well.
Comparing this season’s Miami Heat to the 2014 edition, the biggest notable difference is the absence of LeBron James, who ceremoniously returned to Cleveland two summers ago. The squad will also likely be without Chris Bosh, who is sidelined indefinitely for the second-straight year because of a blood clot, this time in his leg.
One player that will be present yet again for the Heat will be eight-time All-NBA selection and 12-time All-Star, Dwyane Wade. The team’s leading-active scorer, Wade put up averages of 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season, although shot a career-low 45.6 percent from the field.
The focal point for Charlotte’s plan of attack against the Heat will likely revolve around center, Hassan Whiteside, who barely over a year ago was out of the NBA completely. The fiery big man out of Marshall University averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks this year, the latter two of which were ranked tied for third and first overall in the league, respectively. Known sometimes more for his attitude and temper than his play, getting under Whiteside’s skin might be a necessary step if the Hornets want to throw the Miami center off his game a bit.
In addition, Miami will also utilize the services of Goran Dragic (14.1 ppg, 5.8 apg), Luol Deng (12.3 rpg and 6.0 rpg) and the recently-acquired Joe Johnson (13.4 ppg), who the team landed midseason following a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets. The Heat has also got some stellar play from its rookies Justise Winslow (5.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg in April) and Josh Richardson (8.9 ppg in April) this season.
These teams split their regular season matchups for the second-consecutive year, with both teams winning once in the other’s arena during the 2015-16 NBA campaign. With a 28th-ranked 7.4 made three-pointers per game this season, Miami relies heavily on points in the paint, a factor Hornets head coach Steve Clifford knows will have to be addressed if Charlotte wants to emerge victorious in this series.
“[Post-up scoring is] what [Miami] is going to do,” said Clifford following the team’s home win over Orlando on April 13. “The playoffs come down to how many guys on your team can go get a shot. That’s the one thing they really have. [Points in the paint will be] huge. That’s their game. They’ve been great defensively. They protect in the paint and their game has been attacking the basket.”
“We have a lot better team [than we did in 2014]. The East is a lot different. Think about it two years ago, we won 43 games and our guys did a great job but we didn’t have nearly the talent level nor the depth that we have now,” Clifford added.
Charlotte’s success in this series could largely be determined by the health and effectiveness of shooting guard, Nicolas Batum, who suffered a sprained ankle in the Hornets’ April 11 road win over Boston. Al Jefferson, who was hampered by a torn plantar fascia in the team’s playoff series with Miami two years ago, says Charlotte’s mindset is much different now than it was in 2014.
“We were just happy to be there [two years ago]. Nobody thought we would be there in the end. Nobody thought we’d be [here] now. We’ve proved ourselves and I’m just happy to be in the postseason. We could have played Atlanta, we could have played Boston, we could have played whoever. I’m just happy to be in the mix,” said Jefferson following Charlotte’s April 13 win over Orlando.
Evidence of the team’s shift in attitude continues to make itself known as the Charlotte Hornets know they are entering their first-round playoff series to win it, not simply just participate. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, the team finally has an opportunity to make a statement on the NBA’s big stage and is in as good a position as ever to finally bring home that coveted postseason series win that the organization has been missing for quite some time.
Key Matchup vs. Heat: Al Jefferson vs. Hassan Whiteside
The biggest factor in Charlotte and Miami’s first-round playoff series could come down to a pair of reserve centers as the Hornets’ Al Jefferson will be likely matched up against the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside… Jefferson has been on a roll lately, finishing off the regular season with averages of 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.4 minutes over his last five games for the Hornets… The Charlotte center is hungry for redemption in the NBA postseason, where he’ll have his eyes set on the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside, who is looking to finish off his breakout season with a bang… Whiteside has been a double-double machine in South Beach this season, putting up 16.0 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over his last five games for the Heat… Charlotte’s ability to effectively limit Whiteside and the rest of the Heat big men in the paint could be the difference in the Hornets being able to pull out a crucial road win in Miami when their Game 1 meeting tips off on Sunday evening.