Hornets' Nicolas Batum: Fails to find rhythm in loss

Batum posted 12 points (3-15 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and five assists across 35 minutes in Thursday's 120-103 loss to the Suns.

Analysis:

Batum was ice-cold Thursday, shooting only 20 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Hornets tend to live and die by the stellar backcourt tandem of Batum and Kemba Walker, and tonight simply was not Batum's night. Despite this bad outing, Batum is still a must-start as his normal output is diverse and shows up in almost every category.