Golden State Warriors @ Charlotte Hornets Game 45 Preview
Jan 23, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball up court as Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington (2) gives chase during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors will continue their stretch of away games tomorrow as they will be visiting Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets.
Where to watch: CSBA, ESPN
Scheduled Game Time: Wednesday, January 25th, 8:00 P.M.
Location: Spectrum Center
This game will be the first scheduled meeting of the season for the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets. Their next, and final meeting will be on February 1st, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
More from Blue Man Hoop
Both the Hornets and the Warriors will be coming off of disappointing losses. Golden State was defeated in Miami on Monday night by courtesy of a go-ahead three point shot. Charlotte was dominated by the Washington Wizards with a final score of 109-99. With both of these respective teams coming off of a loss, this should be an intense contest that will feature some big time players.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is currently the best team in basketball by terms of record (38-7). They are still first in the league in points per game at 117.6 and are an elite rebounding team thus far that pulls down 45.3 rebounds per game. The defense was a little shaky in the loss to Miami, so we should expect to see a more focused effort on that end tonight. The team is gelling more as the season goes on and are blossoming ahead of schedule.
The duo of Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have proven to be really effective. the duo of co-stars Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are also working well together. The defense is less of question mark at this point mid-season and should hold up based on what we’ve seen thus far. There are no noted changes to the starting lineups as of now.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets, led by Kemba Walker are a middle of the pack team in the Eastern Conference. They currently hold a 23-22 and are third in the Southeast division. They are not like Golden State in terms of fire power (105.2 points per game) however, they are the better rebounding team currently as they average 45.5 rebounds per game.
Much like the Warriors, the Hornets had some defensive struggles in their previous loss. This would be the Hornets fifth home game and they have won three out of four home games during this stretch of such games.
Kemba Walker is a big time point guard and the Hornets have been free of major injuries thus far. Jeremy Lamb, and Brain Roberts are the only two players on the Injured list. The Hornets have all their key players so we should have ourselves an entertaining game.
Next: Marquee Match-ups, Keys to Game, Predictions
Jan 23, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) drives under the basket during the second half of the game against the Washington Wizards at the Spectrum Center. Wizards win 109-99. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors and Hornets have stars at similar positions and this will make for some spicy match-ups.
Stephen Curry vs Kemba Walker: The Battle of star point guards
Golden State and Charlotte have a few things in common. One of the biggest similarities you will find is the generational talent they have at the lead guard position. Stephen Curry, and Kemba Walker, have established themselves as elite guards in the NBA. Opposing teams account for these two players heavily in their defensive schemes.
It should be entertaining to watch what both teams decide to do about the opposing point guards in this game. This match-up could decide the game in specific scenarios and that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Kemba Walker is a score first guard who likes to break opposing defenders down and make plays with regularity.
Stephen Curry is also a score first guard however, he prefers to play within the flow of the game, and shoot a lot of three point shots. Stephen Curry is definitely closer to a pure point than Kemba Walker is but, it will be interesting to see if the Warriors guard is more aggressive than usual in this game, because it would be a homecoming for him if we are being technical about it.
Kevin Durant vs Nicolas Batum: Two do-it all swingmen
Kevin Durant is a top 3 player in the NBA. He has evolved from just a high volume scorer to a swiss army knife for the Golden State Offense and Defense. His counterpart in this game, Nicolas Batum plays a similar role for Charlotte. Batum is the best play-maker, a solid defender, a good scoring option, and the efficient co-star to Kemba Walker.
Both Durant and Batum have the capability to blow a game wide open with impact plays. Kevin Durant is probably the best scorer in basketball right now and he is scarily efficient. He is also an elite rebounder, play-maker, and capable defender. In terms of scoring ability he has an advantage over Batum. The Hornet’s wing star, Batum is the better play-maker and that could be his advantage. Both of these players will be accounted for in defensive schemes, and it would be interesting to see how this game within a game plays out.
Charlotte Hornets’ Keys to Game
Golden State Warriors’ Keys to Game
Golden StateWarriors115
CharlotteHornets98
Final Score Prediction: Warriors 115, Hornets 98
This article originally appeared on 
