Washington vs Charlotte Prediction: the Hornets to Level the Score?

Washington and Charlotte will play their final fourth game of the season. So far, the Wizards are ahead, 2-1. Can the Hornets restore the balance? The Hornets have given up three last four meetings at Capital One Arena to the Wizards.

Wes Unseld's team won six straight games near the end of January, getting back in the playoff race, but failed three straight. However, their opponents in this disappointing series were serious: Portland (116-124), Brooklyn (123-125), and Cleveland (91-114). In games against the Trail Blazers and Nets. Washington led by as many as 18 points after the first half, but both times they were outscored in the second 24 minutes. Based on these games, the problems of today's Wizards aren't game-related but rather mental.

The Hornets have failed four games in a row leading up to the road trip to Washington. Steve Clifford's team has earned a few points during that stretch. Charlotte lost by turns to Milwaukee (115-124), Chicago (98-114), Detroit (112-118), and Orlando (113-119). As has been the case all season, dissonance effects are evident from those games. The reason is that the Hornets' roster is designed for offensive basketball, as previous coach James Borrego had suggested. Clifford is a defensive specialist, and he can't operate efficiently with the lineup he has at the moment. Most likely, a rebuild in Charlotte is unavoidable.

Despite their quality backcourt players, Charlotte has significant problems on offense - Steve Clifford's team could be better at long-range attacking. The Hornets are unlikely to take advantage of their primary weakness, poor defense on the perimeter. Washington could beat Charlotte for the third time this season, and the meeting will be inconclusive, again due to the Hornets' poor offense.