North Carolina native Steph Curry is scheduled to make his return to Charlotte for the first time in multiple years on Saturday to face off against the Warriors. Due to the season’s abrupt end last year, the Warriors never mind their annual trip to Charlotte, meaning the last game for Curry in North Carolina came on Feb. 25, 2019, almost exactly two years ago.
Much has changed for both the Hornets and Warriors since that last meeting. The Golden State team that won by 11 points in that meeting featured Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. Only two of those players, Curry and Green, will be in Saturday’s projected starting lineup.
For Charlotte, the only holdover in the starting lineup is Cody Zeller while Miles Bridges, Bismack Biyombo and Malik Monk all saw time in that meeting. The rest of the rotation, which included Tony Parker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, has departed the Hornets.
Arguably the biggest addition to the Hornets roster in that span has been LaMelo Ball, the current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year and one of the most popular players in the league. This week, Curry spoke of Ball and the Hornets ahead of Saturday’s game.
Warriors face Charlotte on Saturday. Steph Curry asked about LaMelo Ball in advance: "He's playing amazing. There was a lot of talk about what he could show his rookie year. He's surprising a lot of people."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 17, 2021
The other interesting storyline ahead of the game will be Ball taking on one of the two teams that passed on him in the draft. The Warriors and Ball had plenty of links in the predraft process, including LaVar being outspoken about not wanting him to be drafted by Golden State and LaMelo distancing himself from his father as a response.
The storylines will certainly be aplenty should the two teams meet on Saturday, given the Hornets’ current COVID-19 situation.
