The Charlotte Hornets (31-28) look playoff bound, though exactly which Hornets will enter the postseason remains a question. With the mid-season acquisitions of Courtney Lee and the return of Al Jefferson, the Hornets are a different team than the squad that got out of the gate fast before hitting a lull in late fall. It looked early as if Jeremy Lin would play a significant role in both guard spots, but as his shooting woes have continued Lin hasn’t been quite able to claim the minutes he needs. (Except against the Cavaliers.)
In a 126-92 blowout against the rotten Phoenix Suns (15-45), Kemba Walker scored 26 points in just under 30 minutes. But although Lin played both with Walker and in his place, he grabbed just 17 minutes. Lin did a lot well in his brief time, but it’s just hard to keep him on the floor when he shoots 1-of-7, as he did against Phoenix. This is a game where Lin might have been expected to score in bunches — the Suns can’t defend penetration, Lin’s specialty. But it didn’t happen. In a rare scenario, thirteen players got minutes for the Hornets, the maximum allowed to suit up for an NBA team.