Toronto rips a tired and short-staffed Charlotte team 92-74 Wednesday night.
1. PLAN FOR LAST FOUR GAMES
With Charlotte now three games out of the playoff race with only four games left in the season, reality struck the Hornets following their big home loss to the Raptors on Wednesday night that they're not going to make the playoffs.
And even though the season is basically over, Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said there's still things to be gained in these final games.
"With all the injuries ... they're all going to get their minutes," he said. "I want Kemba (Walker) to play. He's getting closer to getting his rhythm back, but I want him to play because these four games will be good for him. He's still trying to get comfortable.
"We'll probably rest Mo (Williams) more because he's tired. We'll play the young guys."
Walker said he feels pretty healthy and that injuries have nothing to do with his play since returning from knee surgery.
Regardless, Clifford there is still a goal for this team and it has little to do with wins and losses.
"We'll have to find a way here to be professional," he said. "I think our team has stood for effort and purposeful play all year, and we're going to have to find a way to do that these last four games."
2. KEMBA WALKER RETURNS, MO WILLIAMS GOES INTO SLUMP
When the Hornets acquired guard Mo Williams in mid-February from Minnesota after Walker, the starting point guard, went down with a knee injury, he nearly singlehandedly kept the Hornets afloat with his torrid shooting.
In his first 14 games as the team's starting point guard, Williams averaged 19.8 points on 43.6 percent shooting from the field, including 36.7 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 7.6 assists and once earned NBA Player of the Week honors.
Then Walker returned and it all changed.
Once Walker was moved back into the starting position, Williams was benched, and with that saw his number drop significantly.
In the 12 games Williams has been relegated to coming off the bench, he is averaging 15.4 points on 34.4 percent shooting overall and 32 percent from 3-point range. His assists have dropped to 4.4 per game, too.
But it's not just being coming off the bench that has changed for Williams. With Walker's return, he's also finding himself playing shooting guard, too, which is something he rarely did during Walker's absence.
Williams said his decline in play is due to mainly one reason.
"It's just kind of how the schedule worked out," he said. "I'm perfectly fine coming off the bench. That's what my role is now.
"The schedule has been brutal. It's just unfortunate. You hope to recuperate (after games), but it's just not there. You look up and there's always a game. That's unfortunate. As a jump shooter, you need your legs."
It should be noted that Williams has come off the bench in three of his last four seasons, so he's used to not starting.
3. LOOKING LESS LIKLEY JEFFERSON, MKG & ZELLER RETURN
With only four games remaining in the season and it a foregone conclusion that the Hornets are all but eliminated from the playoffs, there seems to make little sense bringing back center Al Jefferson, small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and power forward Cody Zeller.
Jefferson has missed three straight games due to a sore knee, while Kidd-Gilchrist has missed the last seven with a sprained ankle and Zeller 15 of the last 16 with a sprained shoulder.
At this point, there'd be very little to gain and a lot to lose by bringing any of the starters back.
But until the Hornets are officially eliminated, there's always a possibility they could return.
"There is still a chance for us to get in, so guys want to keep trying to get better so that they can contribute," Clifford said. "That is kind of where we are at. If we were eliminated, it would be different."
Clifford said Jefferson and Kidd-Gilchrist most likely won't be able to play Friday at Atlanta. Zeller is still a day-by-day decision.
13 -- Number of consecutive 3-point shots Mo Williams missed over four games before making one in the fourth quarter.
0 -- Number of fast break points for the Hornets Wednesday night.
"I just want to win," said Walker when asked what he hopes to get out of these last four games.
Follow Brett Jensen on Twitter @Brett_Jensen
