The Charlotte Hornets dropped their third consecutive game Saturday night, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, who improved to 6-1 without two of their starters, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Despite leading for 67% of the game, Charlotte couldn't hold on in the fourth, as they were outscored 32-21 in the final frame on their home floor, leading to a 109-104 defeat. Prior to the Hornets' next matchup against the Detroit Pistons, here are three things to take note of.
3. Tidjane Salaun appears ready for more minutes
In the absence of Kon Knueppel, Sion James has been Charlotte's starting shooting guard, with Dennis Schroder being the natural Coby White replacement at point guard. Although James had an impressive preseason, the former Duke guard has struggled immensely to begin his sophomore season, shooting 18.9%
from the field and 15.6% from 3-point range. That continued Saturday, as James finished with a plus-minus of -21, the lowest on the team. All the while, Tidjane Salaun has stood out in the second unit, finding confidence in his long range shooting and his defense. Salaun is shooting 38.5% from 3-point range and a career-best 55% from the field. However, the Frenchman is averaging a career-low 13.8 minutes per game.
2. Increased energy on the second-night of a back-to-back
The Hornets came out with a different energy Saturday night, after a 79-point performance against the Wizards Friday night. This has been a familiar trend for Charlotte to begin the year, as they excelled on the second night of a back-to-back against the Miami Heat, after being blown out by the Atlanta Hawks a day prior. While the Hornets didn't get the win Saturday like they did against the Heat, Hornets fans should be happy with the team's effort on short rest against Philadelphia.
1. Charlotte's need for scoring couldn't be more apparent
Although Grayson Allen was phenomenal for the Hornets Saturday night, a 27-point effort on 9-for-12 shooting is difficult to expect every night. Brandon Miller added 24 points, as the two nearly combined for half of the team's 104 points on their own. Early on, it's not surprising that Charlotte ranks dead last in offensive rating to start the year. While this will change upon the return of White and Knueppel, role players like Schroder, Allen and Naz Reid need to create consistent offense in the meantime.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 3 things from Charlotte's 109-104 defeat to Philadelphia
