Cavs vs Hornets preview, start time, TV, line and injury report

The Cavs, who are currently in the midst of making history, battle the rejuvenated Hornets.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (14-0) vs. Charlotte Hornets (5-7)

Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland Ohio

When: 18.00, Sunday 17 Nov

TV: Fanduel Sports Network Ohio (formerly Bally Sports), NBA League Pass

Line: Cavs -10

Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Georges Niang, Jarrett Allen.

Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell (OUT – rest), Evan Mobley (PROBABLE – illness), Max Strus (OUT – ankle), Sam Merrill (OUT – ankle), Emoni Bates (OUT – knee)

Expected starting lineup for the Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Grant Williams

Hornets injury report: LaMelo Ball – QUESTIONABLE (finger), Miles Bridges – QUESTIONABE (right knee), DaQuan Jeffries – OUT (hand), Tre Mann – QUESTIONABLE (back), Nick Richards – OUT (ribs), KJ Simpson – OUT ( G League), Mark Williams – OUT (foot)

Fear the Sword will be hosting a live stream watch party for select games this year Playback. Participate me and Tony Pesta as we react to all the action.

What to watch out for

The two big lineups against a depleted Hornets frontcourt

The Cavaliers have a clear advantage in frontcourt health. Charlotte has given 39-year-old Taj Gibson meaningful minutes to open their season. You can re-read that sentence if it hasn’t hit you yet. The Hornets currently have injuries to their two true centers on the roster. Nick Richards is week-to-week with a rib injury and Mark Williams has yet to sit out this season with a foot injury.

This appears to be an area for the Cavs to attack. The Hornets struggle to create a rim presence, most recently abandoned 81% of the appearance on the rim in their matchup with the Magic on November 12th. The Cavaliers are currently taking sixth most shot on the rim. With the Cavs generally pushing the ball to the rim, the Hornets should be in for a long night trying to figure out how to relieve rim pressure.

Darius Garland and LaMelo Ball’s resurgence

The two young guards have had a similar narrative heading into this season. Both have struggled with injuries, causing delays in their rise to stardom. Garland missed 25 games due to various injuries and personal issues. His body was never the same when he returned, looking removed from the All-Star roster years earlier. LaMelo’s injuries have shut him down for seasons, most recently missing 60 games last season due to an ankle injury that required surgery.

Fast forward to this season, both guards appear to have bounced back and even surpassed their pre-injury levels of play. Garland has transformed his game from even his best years in Cleveland. The efficiency with which Garland plays is unparalleled in his young career. With an absurd 64% effective field goal percentageGarland is in 97th percentile for the entire league. No other player in the league has played the minutes that Garland has logged and remains as efficient. Garland seems to have found his rhythm on offense, found his spots and made his mark in clutch moments.

LaMelo is burning the ground right now. He currently operates as a lifeboat for the Hornets’ offense. Ball’s consumption rate is 38.5% which is the highest in the league and places him in the 100th percentile. This places him among the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham and Paul George.

The ball gets the most out of high use, as he is third in points per game. game in the league and scores 29.9 per night. This is also the most effective use of his career (55% eFG), so it’s not like the assets are necessarily as hollow as they felt years ago. LaMelo has always been a tantalizing prospect dating back to his Chino Hills days. To see LaMelo play mentally free, driving to the rim and showing off his limitless range allows him to unlock a Hornets’ offense that seems pedestrian most times.