PREVIEW: The Charlotte Hornets enter Saturday's matchup ranked second in the NBA for three-point shooting frequency while maintaining third-ranked defensive efficiency against perimeter attempts. After winning consecutive games, the Hornets sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a 36-34 record , having defeated Miami 136-105 at home before routing Orlando 130-111. Meanwhile, Memphis relies heavily on post-ups (ranked 3rd in frequency) but ranks 29th defensively against rim attacks , a critical vulnerability against Charlotte's offensive versatility. The Grizzlies have become the league's worst defensive rebounding team this season, lacking any players taller than 6'9" in their rotation except for 40-year-old Taj Gibson. Memphis enters on a five-game road skid with a 24-45 record, 12th in the Western Conference , having surrendered a 117-112 home loss to Boston on Friday after the Grizzlies were outrebounded 57-35 despite showing competitive effort. Ty Jerome has emerged as Memphis's best player since returning from injury, averaging 20 points and nearly six assists per game on tremendous efficiency , though scoring becomes thin behind him. Charlotte's offensive spacing ranks fourth league-wide, complementing their efficient free-throw shooting at 82 percent , creating multiple avenues for sustained scoring runs. The injury situation heavily favors Charlotte, with Memphis missing Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama and others, while the Hornets have only Tidjane Salaun sidelined.