In Charlotte, where does Kemba Walker Ball reside? An Examination of His New Condo, Recap of the Hornets at Thunder: PJ Washington shines.
LaMelo Ball was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets as the #3 overall choice in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball’s skill set pleased NBA scouts, and many believe he will develop into a top player in the future.
Of course, there’s a big salary associated with becoming one of the most highly anticipated players to join the league. While other athletes prefer to invest in businesses or buy luxury automobiles with their earnings, LaMelo Ball chose to rent an opulent condo in Charlotte.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets, 117-115, thanks to 31 points from PJ Washington. They had not won a preseason game since 2021.
Washington got hot right away, making three 3-pointers en route to 11 points in the first quarter. The Thunder’s strong off-ball movement offence and back cutting caused the Hornets some difficulty, but not enough to prevent them from keeping up with the Thunder step for step. They moved into the half-up six after progressively developing a slightly stiff arm.
Early in the second half, Washington scored seven points to maintain their lead. For the remainder of the starters’ game, the Hornets comfortably held a double-digit advantage after applying pressure to the Thunder. The score approached parity as the benches began to empty. Similar to their efforts in the first two preseason games, the backups attempted to blow the game at the buzzer, but they were only able to hang on after Jeremiah Robinson-Earl’s fast break shot missed the rim.
PJ Washington exuded star quality. It was an extremely thrilling performance, but we need limit our expectations because we’ve seen him have many of flashes like this in the past. We haven’t seen a lot of this player’s body awareness during his career, but he has demonstrated an excellent feel for how to drive to the basket. To finish at the rim, he is pushing people aside with his shoulder. He also possessed a handful of deep pull-up jumpers. When this version of PJ plays, the Hornets are extremely difficult to defeat.
Mark Williams was very involved in both ball sides of play. He reached the line nine times, and it’s obvious that the Hornets enjoy having him around the basket. He is a fantastic target and has excellent hands. Deflections were more his than what one theft and one block would suggest.
Brandon Miller appears at ease. Although he didn’t score highly, he blended in perfectly. He made this highlight layup in addition to a great pull-up midrange jumper.
