CHARLOTTE HORNETS SCOUTING REPORT
SCREEN/ROLL COVERAGE
REPORT
Their guards will push up on you to funnel you into Nick Richards who is pretty active at the rim. Richards is probably the best shot blocker that you will face since I’ve started doing reports in the last three games. Rozier will give you activity and strength at the screen but he’s not very much defensively motivated. After the second pass their defense breaks down and their off the ball defense is pretty bad. Richards and Thor move around a lot and are active and have size/length. Their guards can be attacked and there will be opportunity to drive and kick and get some good looks as I will cover that in the next section. Ish Smith is active, but physically isn’t intimidating. At the rim keep your dribble with Richards , he will leave his feet and challenge at the rim so will Nathan Mensah who comes off the bench. PJ Washington will help at the rim at times. They are forcing you into over dribbling and challenged shots in the paint.
SCORING ON THEM IN SCREEN ROLL
REPORT
Even with Richards being active at the rim, they can still be attacked. The normal things will get your team great looks with ball movement and getting into the 2nd and 3rd screen and roll. You need to be aggressive with initiating contact with not only the guards and bumping Rozier, Ish/Nick Smith but also Richards & Mensah when they challenge you in the paint. Their bigs tend to drop a little too much opening up your floater right inside the free throw line. When you are coming off Ball Screens look to the weak side spot up players as there will be a ton of drive and kick 3PT shots there. Be aggressive attacking the rim, you will face activity there but still will be a bunch of looks for you just be aware of Richards. Rozier and Nick Smith will go for ball fakes to open up drives as well as if you ball fake at the 3PT line and fake a pass they will react to it and can open up looks for you.
OPENINGS FOR 3 POINT SHOTS
REPORT
There is a lot of opportunity to get 3PT Shots with their defense. With Rozier he will ball watch off the ball and you can spot up against him with no problem. He dies on screens a lot so if you set them deep enough you can get some good rhythm 3PT Shots when he dies on it or goes under. Smith will push up but you can get spot up 3’s and pull up in transition against him. They ball watch on the weak side across the board so after drive and kick re space quick to get shots.. They give up a lot of Transition 3’s when you run the lane off the ball to the 3PT line. They tend to be focused on the ball and don’t fire out. Thor and Miller are active on rotations to the 3PT line. Look to be more aggressive if/when they go under on DHO’s and Ball Screens to look for your 3PT shot. That is a part of your game that you need to start ramping up. Once you are confident with it, it will be a habit of just shooting and not hesitating with it.
DETROIT PISTONS PERSONNEL REPORT
TERRY ROZIER
LAST 10 GAME STATS
GAMES PLAYED 8
PTS | 26.6 | REB | 4.6 | AST | 6.6 |
FG% | 44.9% | FT% | 88.2% | 3PT% | 37.1% |
MINS | 36.8 | 3PT | 2.8 | 3PTA | 2.1 |
TO'S | 1.8 | A/TO | 7.6 | USAGE | 27.6 |
SHOT CHART
FILM
OFFENSE
REPORT
The only chance they have of beating you is if Rozier goes off. He will take 20+ shots on all types of offense. He is a heavy stepback/pullback and shot fake player. Has zero conscience as far as shot selection. Stay down on EVERYTHING and stay attached to his hip and shot hands. He is aggressive getting to the rim and a very good finisher shooting 62% at the Rim. Push up on him and don’t lunge at anything he is very good at getting defenders to lose balance and keep his dribble for either a rim drive on it or pullback/stepback. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FEET as he will take atvantage of it and draw fouls. He will stepback going both directions but mostly going left. Stay down on his fakes and make sure he is constantly shooting over a contested hand on every shot. A lot of off balance looks for him and he will take a ton of bad shots. If he is going to struggle and have a bad night it is against a disciplined defender that doesn’t go for any bullshit fakes and gives him 8 trips to the free throw line. Push up on him but don’t go for any BS fakes. Averaging 27 and 7 over his last 8 games the guy is killing it. Make it hard for him and show discipline.
TURNOVERS
REPORT
He’s not a huge turnover guy, averaging 2.2 a game which is pretty normal for a starting guard. He is one of the worst passers in the League for a starting guard as far as an accuracy standpoint. As you can see on the film even the simplest of reads his passes are badly timed and off target. Show him hands constantly and the more he dribbles in a possession where he can’t get a shot and decides to pass usually lands into a deflection or steal/turnover. Keep him dribbling with a body connected to him he will be more mistake prone there. Just has a terrible feel for passing. If you are off ball and see him driving slide in for a charge he doesn’t have breaks.
NICK SMITH
LAST 10 GAME STATS
GAMES PLAYED 10
PTS | 9.3 | REB | 2.0 | AST | 1.5 |
FG% | 43.2% | FT% | 75.0% | 3PT% | 47.6% |
MINS | 18.2 | 3PT | 1.5 | 3PTA | 3.2 |
TO'S | 1.3 | A/TO | 1.2 | USAGE | 21.4 |
SHOT CHART
FILM
OFFENSE
REPORT
Spot up player and pop up jump shooter. Has been buried on their bench all the way up to about a couple of weeks ago now in their regular rotation. Off the ball watch out for him spotting up in either corner shooting over 50% from 3PT from the corners. Looking to score, not looking to give the ball up. Either spot up on drive kicks or trying to pop up for a jumpshot on screen rolls. Push up on him and don’t bail him out with reaching or being off balanced. He is shooting 47% overall from 3 and is a pretty efficient player. Not comfortable as a finisher yet shooting less than 30% at the rim. Make sure you are aware of where he is off the ball for those spot ups or pulling out of the corner on screen roll when off ball. On ball watch out for him pulling up for that mid range shot. Stay connected and show hands at all times force him into tough contested looks
TURNOVERS
REPORT
Not a big or high turnover player. Plays pretty safe and conservatively. When he over dribbles he tends to get in some trouble. Probably makes most of his mistakes trying to throw look ahead passes on the break. Just show hands, force him into one direction and don’t bail him out with fouls 25 feet from the basket. He isn’t looking to go to the rim just pull up or spot up. Contest everything and stay on your feet.
ISH SMITH
LAST 10 GAME STATS
GAMES PLAYED 10
PTS | 4.2 | REB | 2.0 | AST | 4.1 |
FG% | 41.7% | FT% | 100.0% | 3PT% | 0.0% |
MINS | 18.0 | 3PT | 0.1 | 3PTA | 0.2 |
TO'S | 1.3 | A/TO | 3.2 | USAGE | 13.2 |
SHOT CHART
FILM
OFFENSE
REPORT
Looking to get to the mid range on screen roll for that paint/elbow pull up. Not a 3 Point threat taking only a few 3PT shots all year. Looking to drive the ball and get it in the paint and make a play. Not really a scorer, but looks to over dribble to make a play in the paint. Average to above average finisher at the rim shooting in the High 50’s at the rim. He is very crafty for a finisher, but really looking to get to that 10, 15 foot area. More effective when getting th ball in the middle of the defense instead of baseline. He is small, but fast and does a good job changing speeds. If he is driving you right to left and dribbles through the paint there is a good chance he will probe for a jumpshot right outside the charge circle. You can see that on film that Steve Nash Probe shot. I would go under on everything and just force him into tough looks.
TURNOVERS
REPORT
He struggles with size and length. He will get a lot of passes tipped especially off the ball. Funnel him to Wemby and other long armed players and he will have a tough time. Not a huge turnover guy, but tends to get in trouble when there is a lot of size/length waiting on him. He would rather get to the middle than reject going baseline, does more damage int he middle of the floor than baseline.
THE END
