The Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets will rely on their backcourt stars again this season. They just hope there’s more help along the way.
The teams meet in Wednesday night’s season opener in Charlotte.
That’s where Quin Snyder will start what he hopes is his first full season on the Atlanta bench after he was hired as head coach last February.
The Hawks are looking to get to the next level after reaching the playoffs three consecutive seasons. The Hornets, who have missed the postseason the last seven seasons, need to get back to a level where they’re in the playoff conversation.
Snyder said the final months of last season with the Hawks gave him a small body of work in which to analyze the team.
Hawks guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have help in the backcourt with the offseason acquisition of veteran guard Patty Mills. Young tied for 14th in NBA scoring last season at 26.2 points per game and ranked third in assists at 10.2 per outing.
The Hawks went 41-41, winning a play-in game against the Miami Heat before bowing out in a playoff series with the Boston Celtics. Former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey is a new Hawks assistant.
The Hornets finished last in the Southeast Division and posted the fourth-worst record (27-55) in the NBA last season.
It’s time to see where the upgrades have come.
Finding the right mixture is something Clifford said was too often a shortcoming a season ago. Balance is vital even though there was an uneven combination the past few weeks.
The Hornets are hoping that dynamic guard LaMelo Ball, who averaged a career-best 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds last season, can avoid injuries after playing just 36 games. Veteran Terry Rozier is an ideal complement in the backcourt. Rookie forward Brandon Miller out of Alabama was the second overall selection in the 2023 draft and will be expected to make an impact.
The Hornets might be interested in testing the Atlanta interior with the departure of John Collins, who was traded to the Utah Jazz in the offseason. Charlotte generally has counted on a group effort in the paint, going with Mark Williams and Nick Richards at the outset this season.
What Clifford liked about the preseason was “really good internal leadership from our older guys.”
Clifford said guard Bryce McGowens (ankle) likely won’t be available Wednesday.
Charlotte won three of four games against the Hawks last season, including an October matchup. Atlanta’s lone victory in the series came in December in Charlotte.
