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Analyzing the Charlotte Hornets’ Defensive Woes

By Elijah Edwards

Mar 8, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters (11) is pressured by Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) under the basket during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters (11) is pressured by Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) under the basket during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets’ defense has not been up to par this season but what is the source of their woes on that end of the court?

For much of the season, the Charlotte Hornets‘ defense has left fans scratching their heads. Even the coaching staff has commented on the team’s troubles on the defensive side of the ball. What is the cause? Let’s try and make sense of it, shall we?

It’s no secret that the Charlotte Hornets have had their troubles on the defensive end. Too many times this year, the team’s defense has given up leads in games the Hornets should have won. As nuanced as the game of basketball is, it’s not easy to blame one particular set of factors. It can be a multitude of things, and that certainly holds true here. There is one one thing that certainly stands out, however.

According to TeamRankings, the Hornets are dead last in the NBA in opponent three-pointers made and opponent three-pointers attempted.  Any fan who’s watched even a handful of games knows this has been an area of concern for quite some time.

One area the team seems to be struggling is in over-committing to the player driving to the basket. As you can see in this clip against the Sacramento Kings, nearly all five players rush in to defend the paint, leaving Ben McLemore wide open.

From the same game, you can see here that the team is crowded near the interior again in order to defend against the pick and roll. But because of the double team and three other players hovering around the paint, Tyreke Evans is able to make the pass out of the double-team to Darren Collison for the wide open three.

Here is another example against the Clippers where all five players are in the interior, leading to a pass to the perimeter where Austin Rivers feeds J.J. Redick for the open look that he (thankfully) didn’t make.

So, why does this keep happening? Interior defense is obviously important for a lot of reasons, but it seems that Charlotte really prides itself on defensive rebounding, where it leads the NBA at nearly 36 per game. That’s all well and good and definitely helps a team win games, but at what cost?

Defensive rebounds can help limit how many chances a team has to score. However, rebounds don’t help when a player drives and dishes to the perimeter for a made three. For the Hornets to be successful, they have to find the right balance.

The team also needs to find ways to close out games. Charlotte has 14 losses in close games, tied for the league lead. The Hornets rank 21st in 4th quarter points allowed, giving up 26.1. Oddly enough, they give up slightly more points in the first quarter at 26.7. So, in short, the team needs to open and close games better on the defensive end.

Next: Early Look at Draft Prospects

Making the playoffs still isn’t out of the question, though it will take a herculean effort (and a little luck) to make it happen. Fixing the defense will have to be one of the top priorities if the team feels they have a shot.

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