The Hornets fell flat against the Miami Heat as their stars went cold, but Nick Smith Jr. delivered one of his best games of the year. Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg continues his dominant run through March, and NBA execs are taking notice.
The Hornets took another tough loss, this time at the hands of the Miami Heat, 122-105. Doug Branson and Walker Mehl break down what went wrong—starting with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges going a combined 2-for-17 from three. Despite that, Nick Smith Jr. put together a promising performance with 19 points and some early hot shooting, prompting a bigger question: should the Hornets prioritize giving Nick more run next season or lean on Seth Curry’s microwave offense?
Doug also shines a light on Mark Williams’ energy and hustle early in the game, noting how he continues to set the tone even when the team can’t follow through. The duo also takes a look at Moussa’s sneaky-good impact in short minutes and debates the logic behind putting rookie Tidjane Salaun on an island against a red-hot Andrew Wiggins.
In the second half of the episode, Cooper Flagg fever takes over. Doug and Walker discuss his tournament dominance, his “ass-kicker” mentality, and why an anonymous NBA executive’s quote—"either you match his energy or everyone will see you're not about winning"—should have Hornets fans dreaming. Plus, Doug unveils the first of 90 days of mock drafts, starting with Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe going to Charlotte at No. 3.
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Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise
Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history
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