Preview: Hornets host depleted Raptors – At The Hive

What: Charlotte Hornets (1-2) vs Toronto Raptors (1-3)

When: 7:00pm Eastern

Where: Spectrum Center; Charlotte, NC

How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Outfitting: Hornets–Association (white), Raptors–Icon (red)

Game Lines: Hornets -6.5, O/U 225.5

Injuries:
Hornets: Brandon Miller-out (glute), Mark Williams-out (foot), DaQuan Jeffries-out (hand)

Raptors: Scottie Barnes-out (eye), Bruce Brown-out (knee), Kelly Olynyk-out (back), Immanuel Quickley-doubtful (pelvis), Ja’Kobe Walter-questionable (shoulder)

The Hornets are favored in a game. That hasn’t happened very often in recent years. The list of infirmed is pretty lengthy for both teams given that we’re about one week into the season, but the Hornets probably have the advantage on that front. The Raptors are missing their best player in Barnes and their third best player in Quickley. That leaves RJ Barrett and not a lot else for the Raptors.

Barrett has appeared in just one game so far this season. He played 29 minutes and scored 20 points in Monday’s overtime loss to the Raptors. He played the role of Robin to Scottie Barnes’ Batman, but the latter is out of the lineup for the foreseeable (not for him) future after getting elbowed in the eye late in that game.

The offensive support is going to have to come from Gradey Dick, Jakob Poeltl, and I guess Ochai Agbaji off the bench. Dick and Agbaji are knockdown shooters, but neither is particularly adept at creating any offense. Really there isn’t anyone besides Barrett that’s a threat to create offense for themselves or others.

Davion Mitchell provides a defensive spark, but he hasn’t quite put it all together on the offensive side of the ball. Still, he’ll probably give LaMelo Ball some fits when Ball is on the ball.

The Hornets need to come out of the locker room with better intensity. They’ve dug themselves into first half holes in all three of their games so far and have had varying levels of success in climbing out of those holes. The Raptors are by far the weakest team they’ve faced thus far, especially in their current state. It’s a good chance for the Hornets to jump out to a lead and play from ahead for once.