Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets – Game #37
Victor Wembanyama will try to lead the Spurs to another win (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs (6-30) are coming off of a comfortable victory over the Detroit Pistons. Tonight, they’ll try to win a second straight game when they host the Charlotte Hornets (8-27) at the Frost Bank Center. The Spurs have the third worst record in the NBA, while the Hornets have the fourth worst record.
In San Antonio victory over Detroit, Victor Wembanyama led the way. The star rookie had a triple-double in only 21 minutes of action. He finished the contest with 16 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists. Wembanyama did all that without committing a turnover. He was one of the many players on the Spurs who performed well (see the Grades).
The Hornets have lost three straight games and 14 of their previous 15 games. Their only win during that stretch came against the Sacramento Kings on the road.
LaMelo Ball Returns for the Hornets
While Charlotte has done a lot of losing lately, they have reason for optimism. LaMelo Ball, unquestionably the best player on the Hornets, is expected to return tonight. He got injured all the way back on November 26th. Before he got hurt, the Hornets had won two straight games, including an impressive overtime victory over the Boston Celtics.
On the season, Ball is averaging 24.7 points, 8.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The point guard is shooting 44.3% from the field, 38.8% from the three-point line and 85.7% from the free throw line.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
Head coach Gregg Popovich has seemingly settled on a new starting lineup that features Victor Wembanyama at center, Jeremy Sochan at power forward, Julian Champagnie at small forward, Devin Vassell at shooting guard and Tre Jones at point guard. The bench unit has been led by Keldon Johnson, Cedi Osman and Dominick Barlow.
Since being elevated to a starting role, Jones has averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He’ll have his hands full tonight going against LaMelo Ball.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Hornets
The Spurs are favored by two points and the over/under is 236.5 points. The smart money is on San Antonio to win by three or more points. The return of LaMelo Ball will help the Hornets but the Spurs are playing their best basketball of the season. With Tre Jones thriving in the starting lineup and the Spurs playing at home in front of their fans, this is a really good opportunity for a win.