NBA Summer League 2021: Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls Prediction & Match Preview - August 16th, 2021
The Charlotte Hornets face the Chicago Bulls on the second-to-last day of NBA Summer League 2021. The Hornets will enter the game with zero wins under their banner. Meanwhile, Chicago hasn't fared much better than its anticipated competitors. They have only managed to win one of their four games.
Match Details
Fixture - Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls | NBA Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Monday, August 16, 2021, 10:00 PM ET (Tuesday, 7:30 AM IST)
Venue - Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets will play their Monday game with four consecutive losses. The youngsters have managed to rally themselves behind Kai Jones and James Bouknight. They put up a commendable fight on Saturday but the players representing the Toronto Raptors snatched the game out of the Hornets' grasp by just one point.
Grant Riller has averaged 5.5 assists in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. He is a key playmaker for the Michael Jordan-owned team.
Key Player - James Bouknight
James Bouknight is the Charlotte Hornets' leading scorer. He has averaged 16.75 points for his team's campaign in the preseason. During his best performance in the summer league, James dropped 23 points, eight assists and four rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs.
It will be interesting to see how he leads the offensive charge against the Bulls. Will he continue to lodge double-digit points or will the Chicago Bulls limit him to the fringes of the game? The answer can only be realized post the match but it is safe to conclude that Bouknight is a legitimate threat to the red and white team.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G - Scottie Lewis, F - Kai Jones, C - Nick Richards, G - James Bouknight. G - Grant Riller
Chicago Bulls Preview
Having only won a single game in the summer league, the Bulls will come hungry for another late preseason win. Patrick Williams' absence is worrisome for the Chicago corner in their upcoming game.
They'll have to rely on Ayo Dosunmu and Jaylen Adams as the secondary scorers. Both Dosunmu and Adams have had spontaneous bursts of scoring in the last four games. They need to be more consistent on the offensive end if they desire to wrap up the game on Monday with their victory.
Key Player - Marko Simonovic
Marko Simonovic has evolved as a consistent scorer for the Bulls. Along with Williams, his plays have been a major highlight on Chicago's offensive end. He has averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. In the match against the Memphis Grizzlies, he registered 14 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
C - Marko Simonovic, F - Ayo Dosunmu, G - Jaylen Adams, G - Ethan Thompson, G - Jerome Robinson.
Hornets vs Bulls Prediction
If Chicago Bulls' Patrick Williams sits out in the upcoming match, it will become extremely difficult for the Bulls to stop Charlotte's attacks. Both teams have struggled to protect their paint, however, due to Kai Jones' dominating rebounding abilities, the Charlotte Hornets can go into the game with more confidence in attacking.
Simi Shittu hasn't played as a key defender for the team yet but in Williams' absence he is the only one capable of challenging the Bulls under the paint. The tipping point of the game will depend on who is able to create more offensive opportunities and limit turnovers - a task handled by Patrick for the Chicago Bulls.
Where to watch Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls
ESPN 2 and TSN5 will broadcast the game between the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls nationally.