Enjoying the Ride
“A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It's what happens while you're waiting for moments that never come.” - Lester Freamon, The Wire Season 3.
I start this with a cliched quote from The Wire because 1) the Wire is an excellent show 2) when you watch/root for/cover the Charlotte Hornets, the moments you rarely expect are the sweetest. I’m writing this about a 2-3 basketball team, which should reveal my expectations for the season was going into it.
That being said, I was emphatic that the Hornets were not 7-59 bad going into the season. Now? On what looks like a split of a daunting road trip that everyone had the Hornets losing all four games. There’s life, but more importantly there’s hope.
Where better to start than PJ Washington, who might be the best draft pick in the Jordan era when he’s done. The term of old soul gets tossed around for any kid who acts a few days older than his birth certificate, but in the case of Washington? It fits.
Washington has averaged 15 & 7 thus far, and his game translates to be something I don’t think many of us expected. To call him an evolved Patrick Patterson feels too limiting, and the next Paul Milsap feels to grand. But having a rookie to feel excited about for the first time since Emeka Okafor back in 2004, it’s exciting.
While looking lost for large swaths of this season, you could make the case that Miles Bridges has grown this season. He’s easily the best perimeter defender of this young Hornets squad and has taken the challenge of defending his man. More importantly the presence of Washington has forced Bridges to adapt to his more natural position of the 3, instead of the 4.
Bridges outside shooting is still a work in progress, but he’s hitting nearly 42% on the season while attempting more from behind the arc. He’s already hit his career high in terms of points this season, the best is yet to come from this kid.
IT ME. The Idiot.
I need to offer Malik Monk a mea culpa, and as one of the few members of #monkhive, I had a lapse of faith and need to repent. Following that tweet came two STRONG games from Monk, 16 against the Clippers and 18 against the Kings. Malik for the first time looks relaxed and in control. While the play making numbers aren’t there yer, they should come soon.
At the end of the day though, if you’re a Hornets fan, you really should be playing with house money as the west coast trip of doom might end up being a minor jaunt out west. Also, it serves as a reminder to enjoy the ride. This team was never as bad as it was predicted to be, but it doesn’t carry the dumb expectations of playoffs or bust of previous seasons. You can sit back, crack open your beverage of choice and just enjoy the game.
Editor’s Note: I’m gonna try to do DFS at least twice a week, maybe three times a week if the schedule calls for it. As always, feel free to share this with whomever and subscribe. See you guys on Monday.