Five Takeaways From the Charlotte Hornets’ Loss to the Miami Heat on Opening Night

Oct 28, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) drives to the basket as Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum (5) defends during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 104-94. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

4. The Charlotte Hornets lack of interior defense will continue to hurt them all season unless something is done.

The Miami Heat attacked the rim all night and got any shot they wanted near the basket. The points in the paint might not tell the whole story but the Heat did score 40 points in the paint. The Charlotte Hornets struggled to defend the rim throughout the game and it was obvious that their lack of rim protection was a huge disadvantage to them. This trend will continue unless the Hornets decide to make a change either with their line-up or with a signing or trade.

With the loss of the team’s only rim protector, Bismack Biyombo, in the off-season the Hornets were left with a gaping spot to fill and as the summer progressed, Charlotte never filled that void in the middle. The team drafted a big man in Frank Kaminsky who is not defensive minded and they also traded for Spencer Hawes who is an offensive minded big as well. Al Jefferson is not a rim protector and Cody Zeller has not made it a vital part of his game yet.

The team will need to either start Zeller at power forward or make a trade for a big man who can defend inside better than the ones they currently have on their roster.

Next: No.3 Preseason Success