The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards have both made leaps in the standings this season. Both teams have their eyes firmly set on the playoffs. In previous years this would be a rather dull matchup. Now the matchup is exciting and has possible playoff implications. When the Wizards and Hornets face-off, which team is the right NBA pick?
Charlotte Hornets vs. Washington Wizards
Monday, November 22, 2021 – 7:00 PM EST at Capital One Arena
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are off to a fantastic start this season. Miles Bridges has been one of the breakout players of the year. After averaging 12.7 points last season, he is averaging 21.6 points this season. Bridges’ flourishing skills have brought strength to a wing position in Charlotte. Bolstered with a strong backcourt, the Hornets are a center away from being a true contender in the East.
Charlotte’s center problem was even worse last season. They brought in Mason Plumlee to address it. While Plumlee is an excellent stopgap for the situation, the Hornets’ next step will be acquiring an athletic center with more scoring potential and moving Plumlee to the bench. Plumlee is averaging seven points and seven rebounds and rarely makes defensive mistakes.
This makes him a reliable option at the center. If Charlotte were able to acquire an athletic center and move Plumlee to the bench this team could really cause ripples in the East.
In only his second season, Lamelo Ball has assumed the leadership role for the Hornets. They often go as he goes. This can be fraught with difficulty or sometimes Ball is erratic and prone to poor shot selection. Still his extreme confidence and elite passing vision make him a good leader for this young team.
Terry Rozier brings veteran leadership in the guard position. Rozier can be relied upon to steady the ship when Ball gets too frantic in his play. Rozier can sometimes be overly aggressive in seeking his own shot as well, so Hornets coach James Borrego has a difficult challenge managing his ultra-talented, yet streaky backcourt.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards have had quite the switch in identity after acquiring Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The Wizards were formerly all offense and no defense. Now that has flipped on its head. The Wizards are now at 21st in points scored at 106 per game and 7th in points against at 103.4.
This increase in defensive efficiency has catapulted them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. While the Wizards mulled around the fringes of the playoff contention last season, they have now planted their flag as a firm playoff team in the East.
Part of the Wizards’ improvement has also come from Bradley Beal becoming more of a facilitator on offense. Last season Beal was the NBA scoring leader. This season his points per game have dipped to 24 per game but he is leading the team in assists at 6 per game. Beal is allowing his teammates time to be involved with the offense as well. This maturation combined with the defensive improvement has led the Wizards back to being a top team.
Montrezl Harrell has revived his career in Washington. Harrell struggled to get minutes after joining the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but now he is the second-leading scorer on the Wizards averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds per game. This increased involvement in the team’s offense has put a pep in the step of Harrell. He is back to being the elite versatile defender that he showed during his time on the Clippers. Credit to the Wizards and new head coach Wes Unseld Jr. for putting Harrell in a position to succeed.
Key Matchup
Bradley Beal versus Lamelo Ball. While they will not check each other directly on defense, Beal and Ball will be directly related to their team’s success. Both teams will combine their shot-making with facilitating their teammates in order to lead their offenses. Whichever team leader is more consistent and making aggressive yet smart plays will be most likely leading their team to victory.
If Beal continues his trend of efficient shot-making and facilitation of his teammates, the Wizards will come out victorious. If Lamelo Ball is able to rein in his erratic playmaking and be efficient against the Wizards, the Charlotte Hornets have a great chance at victory.
Best Bet
I like the Wizards to bounce back and get the victory. At this point in their careers, I prefer the steady leadership of Bradley Beal over the uncertain brilliance of Ball. The Wizards increased defensive acumen will serve them well tonight. Take the Washington Wizards for your NBA pick at the top betting sites.
NBA Pick: Washington Wizards -4 (-108) at BookMaker (visit our BookMaker Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
