Recap/Analysis: Hornets finish California Classic undefeated – At The Hive

Bryce McGowens led the way with 29 points as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Sacramento Kings to finish the California Classic with a 3-0 record.

The Summary

The Hornets met some resistance in the early goings of the game for the first time all summer. They traded blows with the Kings throughout the first half but were hamstrung by their inability to make a 3-pointer. That didn’t come until Jake Stephens finally hit one in the third quarter. That third quarter was the turning point in the game. The Hornets blitzed with a 23-9 scoring advantage in the third, much like they did in the first quarters against the Spurs and Chinese National Team. The Kings responded with an early fourth quarter run, but the Hornets were able to answer that run and hang on for the win.

The Good

Bryce McGowens answered the call (my call) to put forth a good performance against a team that wasn’t as physically overmatched as China was. He did that and then some. He put a ton of pressure on the paint and got to the free throw line 12 times. He made a couple of threes and played scored efficiently. The only black eye on the performance was him getting hung on a dunk attempt in the fourth quarter, but we’ll let that slide.

Zavier Simpson feels like there should be a place for him. It’s hard to tell where, since I don’t know if he’s a great candidate for the active roster, and at 27 years old, he’s not really a candidate for a two-way. But he’s been a joy to watch in the Summer League. He was second on the team with 17 points, and his point of attack defense has set the tone for the Hornets pestering defense as a whole.

Jake Stephens had another solid game as the team’s starting center with Mouhamadou Gueye out.

The Hornets are actually fun to watch in the summer league. That’s always going to be a welcome sight.

The Bad

We know he’s better than this because we saw him play real NBA minutes last season, but it’s slightly discouraging seeing how much Nick Smith Jr. has struggled. The outside shot will probably come around. We’ve seen it before. But even in the summer league environment, Smith’s offense is pretty hard to watch if the jumper isn’t falling. He hasn’t been facilitating (which he to be fair, he probably hasn’t been asked to), and he hasn’t been able to get to and finish at the rim. It’s going to be tough to be more than a sparkplug 6th man if he’s going to be entirely reliant on shooting jumpers as an undersized guard.

Leaky Black played 23 minutes and scored 0 points. He led the team in plus-minus and filled out other box score stats, but 0 points is bad.

What’s Next

The Hornets get a few days off as they transition to the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts on Friday. The Hornets will play their first game on Saturday against Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, and the New York Knicks.