Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers: Pacers Have an Excellent Collection of Speedy Guards

• Big man Mark Williams leads the Hornets in their first Summer League game!
• Benedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard are a Canadian duo that will be leading the Pacers in this matchup!
• This will be the first game of the Summer League for both teams.

Hornets vs Pacers Odds

Odds taken form DraftKings Sportsbook.

Hornets vs Pacers Pick

The Charlotte Hornets have the kind of team that could take on anyone in the Summer League. However, Indiana have an excellent combination of athleticism and composure that should give them the edge.

Indiana Pacers def. Charlotte Hornets (-125)

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Hornets vs Pacers Predictions

Charlotte Hornets Game Notes

The Charlotte Hornets enter the Vegas Summer League with a roster composed of athletic and long impact players. How they take advantage of their size will determine how well they do in the summer tournament.

Between the likes of Nick Richards, Kai Jones, and incoming rookie Mark Williams, the Hornets have plenty of size and length that can help them against generally smaller Summer League lineups.

Surely wanting to emulate the play style of their NBA team, the Hornets will play with pace. They’re lacking true playmaking, with Jalen Crutcher being their only true point guard, so they’ll have to limit turnovers.

Hornets Key Player: (F) Brady Manek

BRADY MANEK ANSWERS FROM DEEP ?#MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/QAWJtmmHud

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2022

The Charlotte Hornets won’t be fielding prized sophomore James Bouknight, but a certain free agent player sparks just as much interest as their 2022 NBA Draft selections. North Carolina big man Brady Manek could bring something interesting to a rising Hornets team.

Through his NCAA Final run in 2022, Brady Manek became a particularly notable player. At 6-9, 231lbs Manek boasted one of the ACC’s best combinations of shooting and rebounding. While he’s a bit older than most of his rookie class, his skillset is immediately transferrable into the NBA.

How he defends in the NBA’s spread offences is a big question. However if he can come anywhere near his college three-point shooting clip, 40.3%, Manek could fit excellently with Charlotte.

Indiana Pacers Game Notes

The Indiana Pacers look to represent their moniker well, with an excellent collection of speedy guards to push the ball. They have excellent playmaking throughout their roster, but their finishing will need to be top notch.

Owning one of college basketball’s best floor generals, Andrew Nembhard should thrive in the Vegas Summer League. The Pacers don’t boast one of the stronger three-point shooting lineups in the Summer League, but their playmaking suggests they’ll at least have the opportunities.

If you’re a Canadian you’re in luck. Indiana have major Canadian representation between Duarte (Montreal), Mathurin (Montreal), Nembhard (Aurora), and Shittu (Toronto). All four project to play major roles in this Summer League, and may even join Brissett (Toronto) in training camp later this summer.

Pacers Key Player: (G-F) Bennedict Mathurin

OMG BEN MATHURIN JUST BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN pic.twitter.com/e3bUzotPgw

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2022

Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin made waves this summer when he spoke about his interest in challenging LeBron James as a rookie this season. Brimming with confidence and an NBA-ready skillset, Summer League looks like it’ll be just the start of Mathurin’s coming out party.

The Montreal-born Canadian international Mathurin put on a stellar season in the Pac-12 last year. He posted 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 45% shooting from the field and 36.9% from three-point range.

Mathurin hasn’t yet shown the ability to create offence on a one-on-one level, but he projects to thrive in a lesser role until he develops it. If he can show efficiency from the field and limit turnovers, it’ll be a great start for Mathurin.

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