Doug Branson here, the host of the daily Locked On Hornets podcast, with your daily Locked On Hornets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Hornets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Hornets Spiral Downward Continues: Can the Hornets Learn to Win Again?
Dec 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) makes a go-ahead three point field goal over Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) in the final seconds in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke/Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
š Hornets Hit Rock Bottom (again somehow) If you lose twice in a week to the leagueās worst team, does that make you the worst team? Thatās the existential question after the Hornets dropped another game to the Wizards, 113ā110. Despite a late rally, sloppy turnovers and lackluster defense kept Charlotte in the L column.
Brandon Miller returned after missing three games, logging 18 points and a career-high nine assists. LaMelo Ball added 31 but both struggled to shoot. Outside of running lobs for Mark Williams, so much of this offense looks uninspired and out of control, leading to turnovers and bad shots which teams that can run exploit in transition with ease. Weāre watching a bad basketball team right now. No excuses or caveats. Lee and company have to find a way to get back to competent basketball in the first half of these games. The front office should be thinking about radical changes to this roster to address fundamental deficiencies in playmaking, shooting and physicality at the rim.
šÆ What Went Wrong
Sloppy Offense: The Hornets tallied costly turnovers that led to easy transition buckets for Washington.
Defensive Lapses: A critical rebound slip late in the game highlighted Charlotteās inability to close.
Great players have to play great: LaMelo and Miller combined for sub-35% shooting from deep, hampering their offensive flow.
š Silver Linings
Miles Bridges Steps Up: Bridges delivered a complete performance with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and late-game heroics.
Charles Leeās Adjustment: A smart move to switch defensive matchups (Mark Williams and Miles Bridges) signaled deeper issues at the center position but helped the Hornets rally in the fourth quarter.
No Injuries: In a season riddled with setbacks, a healthy roster remains a bright spot.
š ļø What Needs Fixing The Hornetsā struggles stem from more than just talent gaps. Their indecisiveness on offense and loss of team principles from earlier in the season are glaring issues. LaMelo Ballās leadership and re-finding his shooting stroke will be key if this team hopes to turn things around.
š Whatās Next? The Hornets face the Oklahoma City Thunder, followed by road games against the Bulls and Pistons. Without adjustments, the tailspin may continue.
This team canāt afford to settle for moral victories anymore. Itās time for the Hornets to dig deep, rediscover their identity, and prove they can play functional basketballāeven in a losing streak.
Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) talk before the game at Chase Center. | Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The āThings NBA fans get themselves worked up aboutā category got a new entry this month, and it reached a fever pitch over the Christmas Day slate of games āratings. Specifically, broadcast ratings.
Itās a subject Commissioner Adam Silver is often asked about in his pressers, especially those that precede the NBAās tent-pole events like the In-Season Tournament, All-Star Weekend, the Finals, and Summer League. It also comes up around the annual Board of Governors meeting in early September. It makes sense for Silver to talk about it, given that heās the league Commissioner, and because heās been at the helm for broadcast contract negotiations and renegotiations. If this is all making your eyes cross, good, that helps to prove my point.
Silver, team owners, and broadcast executives are the only people who should care about the NBAās broadcast ratings. Itās their job. Whether numbers are up or down should be of no concern to fans, casual or die-hard, because they ultimately have no bearing on the viewing experience, nor is it up to fans to āfixā anything.
Traditionally, this wouldāve been self-evident, but in the contemporary era of fandom ā especially NBA fandom ā thereās a desire to critique and cosplay as team or league executives. Everything from down to the decimal point salary analysis in trade machinations, on-court performance and ways to improve athlete āproductionā, concerns for whether front offices are over-spending (theyāre billionaires, they can afford it), and now, worries over marketing of the league.
Broadcast ratings are just one metric. The decline in ātraditionalā television ratings has more to do with how younger fans find and interact with basketball than with some phantom threat of malaise or disinterest. Cable is expensive, and younger audiences almost exclusively stream their sports. Case in point ESPNās announcement on Christmas Day of an 84% spike in viewership, a day when many, many people head to their family home and have cable television to watch and plenty of free time on their hands.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Replay The Charlotte Hornets battled the Washington Wizards in a thrilling game, showcasing intense back-and-forth action. Relive the excitement through the detailed game recap. (AP News)
Ranking Discover where the Charlotte Hornetsā most incredible sports moments rank among the top 25 from the last quarter-century. Dive into the rankings and celebrate these highlights. (Bleacher Report)
Watch The 2025 NBA Draft has some surprise risers that teams, including the Charlotte Hornets, need to keep an eye on. Get the scoop on who to watch here. (Bleacher Report)
Saturday, Dec. 28 | 6:00PM | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC | Get Tickets
Bulls @ Hornets
Monday, Dec. 30 | 7:00PM | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC | Get Tickets
Hornets @ Pistons
Friday, Jan. 3 | 7:00PM | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | Get Tickets
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Christmas Day Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Spectacular: Must-Adds and Droppable Players
Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (right) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
As we celebrate Christmas Day, itās time for a fantasy basketball waiver wire spectacular. Letās dive into the most added players, must-roster options, and those you can consider dropping.
The most added player over the last 48 hours is Trayce Jackson-Davis. With two solid games in a row and increased minutes, heās a no-brainer add for now. Keep an eye on his playing time, as anything over 22 minutes makes him worth rostering.
Noah Clowney is another intriguing addition. His shooting has improved from his college days, and heās getting significant minutes due to injuries. While Iām not sure heāll provide top-70 value, heās worth a look in most leagues.
When it comes to must-roster players (under 50% rostered on Yahoo), consider these options:
1. Goga Bitadze: Despite a recent ankle sprain and ejection, his floor has risen significantly.
2. Ben Simmons: Roster him now and worry about potential issues later.
3. Yves Missi: While Iām skeptical about his role when the Pelicans are fully healthy, he should be rostered for now.
4. Bilal Coulibaly: After a cold streak, heās regained his form and confidence.
5. Ayo Dosunmu: Although I have limited faith in his long-term upside, heās a must-roster player for the time being.
On the flip side, there are some players you can consider dropping. Remember, ādroppableā doesnāt mean you must drop them, but rather that itās acceptable to do so if needed. These include Gradey Dick, Dennis Schrƶder, Onyeka Okongwu, Rui Hachimura, Jaden McDaniels, and Jaden Ivey.
Looking at hot players, Larry Nance Jr. has been impressive lately, ranking 40th over the last week. While I donāt expect this to hold long-term, heās worth rostering for now. Other notable hot players include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jake LaRavia, and Dean Wade.
