Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction: Heat not playing their best basketball, Hornets are depleted

The NBA Regular Season is on and what an incredible start we have had. The results have been unpredictable and so far, it is unclear if the contenders from last season will be considered the same. It is early on so you never know how the rest of the season shapes up. Anyway, in this game, the Miami Heat will take on the Charlotte Hornets in hopes to improve their record.

The Heat come into the game after losing to the Hornets 112:117 in the OT despite a 35 points performance by Jimmy Butler. This win ended a two-game losing streak for the Heat and the win was crucial as they have lost seven out of 12 games. The Heat has not performed as per the expectations and even a struggling Hornets unit pushed them to Overtime which is a cause of concern. Heat’s play has been underwhelming many times but yes, even last season, they started slow and picked up their game later.

Although Tyler Herro has emerged as a major option, the bulk of production continues to rely upon Jimmy Butler who doesn’t fail to deliver. Bam Adebayo has peaked at this point but he is a strong 15-20 points scorer plus gives solid defense and rebounding. Max Strus’ rise has been crucial as someone who can spread the floor whereas the bench depth isn’t as good as last season thus far, although Gabe Vincent can provide sturdy two-way production from there.

The Hornets come into the game after losing 112:117 to the Heat in Overtime despite a 29 points outburst by Kelly Oubre Jr. This loss was a close one as the team fought tooth and nail against a much-stacked Heat roster but the outcome still was on the short side. And so it has been the case lately as Charlotte has lost seven in a row and most of their losses have been due to their sub-par offense. This is in contrast to the last season when Charlotte has one of the best offenses.

Of course, it is the absence of LaMelo Ball who is the driving engine as the major ball-handler who makes things happen with his amazing vision and scoring. The team is also playing without Miles Bridges, who brought the energy with his athletic play. As a result, both Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre have had to force the issue while PJ Washington despite some amazing nights has been unable to emerge as a consistent third option. A lack of reliable outside shot limits Dennis Smith Jr who has otherwise done well as a playmaker. Overall, the Hornets rely too much on isolation play and lack the ball movement to thrive.

• Hornets: OUT: LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin. QUESTIONABLE: Dennis Smith Jr;
• Heat: OUT: Victor Oladipo, Omer Yurtseven. QUESTIONABLE: Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Jimmy Butler(25+ Points), Terry Rozier(21-26 Points), Kelly Oubre Jr.(22-27 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Mason Plumlee(11-15 Rebounds), Bam Adebayo(9-13 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Jimmy Butler(5-8 Assists), Dennis Smith Jr. (6-9 Assists)

The last time these two met it was a thrilling battle and it took a lot for Butler-lead Heat to break away from the resilient Hornets. The Heat has allowed teams to stay close to them and need to be more incisive against a squad like the Hornets that have been losing quite a bit. The Heat has been again underwhelming at the start of the season and need more from Kyle Lowry. I believe they won’t let the Hornets get close like last game and have a big win here