Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction: Expect high productivity

Last season Atlanta kept Charlotte out of the playoffs with a first-round playoff win. The Hornets got a small rematch on the road in the current regular season - can they do it again on their home court?

Due to persistent injuries at the start of the season, the Hornets had only seven wins in 28 games, so their last place in the Eastern Conference looks fair. But now the team finally has a chance to push back from the bottom. Lamelo Ball is back, Gordon Hayward could also play against Atlanta, and they could somehow come to terms with the loss of Dennis Smith Jr., Cody Martin, and Mark Williams. Still, Charlotte wasted no time even in the absence of its leaders: the club now has a pretty decent bench. Jalen McDaniels has become a stable core player, Nick Richards is an excellent backup for Mason Plumlee, and Kai Jones has been very effective in certain games.

In their last six regular season games, the team has lost every game, and during that stretch, they have faced only one team, not in the top 10 of the East or West. That team was Detroit, and in a great shootout, Charlotte lost 134:141. With the addition of Lamelo Ball, the Hornets picked up the pace, and their 114 shots on goal seemed impossible. Kelly Oubre and Terry Rozier combined for only 18 of their 55 attempts, and P.J. Washington missed many shots that night. Ball's return has been good, with 23 points and 11 assists.

The Hawks are in roughly the same situation as the Hornets at the beginning of the regular season. Continuing injuries to their starting five have put the team on a roll. In their last six games, Atlanta has lost five, and only A.J. Griffin's buzzer-beater against Chicago saved the Hawks from a collapse. Trae Young still doesn't look good. In 6 games, he shot less than 40%, including 19.4 threes. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Deandre Hunter are much more efficient, not to mention Clint Capel. By the way, the giant Swiss man recently dropped out due to injury; Dejonte Murray and John Collins also won't play against Charlotte, although the latter is close to returning to the floor.

The day before, the team fell short against one of the East's outsiders, Orlando (124:135). In the 1st quarter, the Hawks trailed by 50 points with just 22 points and had practically no chance to close the gap. The Hawks once again failed defensively at the arc.

The Hornets looked great on offense, despite constant misses from beyond the arc. The clubs will be easier to handle these days, as Atlanta is particularly vulnerable. The Hawks could more or less replace Capela with Okongwa and can improve on offense as well. The odds on Charlotte have dropped for a reason. Right now, the home team has a better chance to win, but after their loss to Detroit, there is plenty to be nervous about. First and foremost, we should expect high efficiency, as both love quick attacks.

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