Hornets vs Heat (10/28/2015)

There is something inviting about fall. Consider the forest. In the spring and the summer, the forest is full of life and growth and noise. There are brambles and nettles and hordes of mosquitoes, squirrels and birds make their raucous calls to their brethren, and the heat of the day pounds through the canopy above you. Then comes the fall and all of those things still. The forest becomes a place of peace. The brambles and nettles are dead, the animals are retreating towards their winter homes, and the sun has released the world into a gentle cool. You can walk unmolested in the woods (Unless you look like a deer. Wear some orange) and simply exist without interruption.

Then the peace of fall is startled by the full throated call of the NBA! It appears, running through the shadows like Cody Zeller on a full court break to the rim!

Game one of an NBA season is such an exciting time. The players are new, the fans feel renewed, and the record is pristine. No heartbreak has happened (cough MKG cough) and we can imagine our Hornets slipping into the #7 or #8 spot in the playoffs. It may unfold!

GAME 1 Notes

• Al Jefferson can still score. He had 13 in the 1st quarter, and finished the game with 17 after a very slow second half. In fact, as the Hornets went into catch up mode in the 4th quarter, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller shared the floor for much of that time.
• Shooting: Not as good as we had hoped...The Hornets shot 6 for 24 from three point range. That percentage is not going to cut it, especially when the opposition hit twice as many threes at a 60% clip.
• Defensively, the Hornets were kind of terrible, but not wretched. They definitely miss a rim protector. There is not intimidating presence at the rim, and the Heat scored inside quite a bit. 40 of their 104 points were scored inside the paint. While this is less than the Hornets, the Heat do not have a post up threat like big Al. Their paint points came from penetration and lobs.
• The Heat have a great bench. Gerald Green is the perfect 6th man, and Josh McRoberts only makes that second unit hum smoother. They will win a lot of games in the East, and in the league as a whole.
• Nic Batum guarded Dwayne Wade for the majority of the 2nd half, and did a reasonable job. It is excellent to see Batum already assuming that responsibility.

As the season goes on, I will do my best to incorporate some advanced statistics, perhaps some more storytelling techniques, and of course some gimmicks to keep you internet wolves satisfied.