With Williams back into the fold, the Hornets are getting closer to having a full deck of cards again. When healthy, Williams once helped the Hornets rank in the top five for defensive efficiency. His ability to switch one through five could potentially change the outlook of how this team protects the paint or their pick-and-roll coverages.

SportsLine's model has simulated the Charlotte Hornets vs. New York Knicks 10,000 times and revealed its NBA Cup picks for Friday

The Hornets are shorthanded today, and our NBA expert predictions expect Knicks guard Jalen Brunson to take advantage of an injury-ravaged Hornets group.

The Knicks keep alternating between taking steps forward and backward. They narrowly defeated the lowly Hornets last Friday after Jalen Brunson was forced to carry a heavy load for the offense. They followed that up with a dominant win over the depleted Pelicans,