Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: April 10 vs Charlotte Hornets
By Ti Windisch
![Mar 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) shoots the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Bucks defeated the Hornets 118-108. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports Mar 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) shoots the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Bucks defeated the Hornets 118-108. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0ba07f3882c320e55bb7916b3af0bac48ba30780451f88a02cb1efa845aad844.jpg)
Player To Watch: Kemba Walker
The lack of competition for the player to watch designation of the Hornets is probably the biggest reason why this team has struggled this season. Charlotte is a one-man show that falls apart when Kemba Walker hits the bench.
If that sounds familiar, switch Charlotte for Milwaukee and Kemba Walker for Giannis Antetokounmpo and you’ve got an accurate portrayal of the last week or so for the Bucks. Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe have both slumped, leaving the best Buck with little help or competition.
The difference between the Bucks and the Hornets is that Milwaukee is struggling right now because players are sagging in production. Charlotte has struggled for most of the season because there just isn’t much talent around Kemba.
Walker leads the Hornets in scoring with 23.2 points per game. The next two Charlotte scorers, Nicolas Batum and Frank Kaminsky, both shoot under 41 percent from the field and under 34 percent from three-point range.
Kardiac Kemba might be a fantastic player, but even while he puts together his best-ever NBA season the Hornets are struggling thanks to players around him failing to maintain a functional offense when he sits.
With Walker on the floor this season, Charlotte has an offensive rating of 109.0. When Kemba sits, the Hornets’ offensive rating drops to 102.1. That’s the difference between the seventh-best NBA offense and the second-worst offense the Association has to offer.