The All-Star break is the perfect time to look at the things the Charlotte Hornets are doing well and poorly. True, this year has featured more losses than wins. But this season was always going to be about the future, given the injuries suffered early in the season.
The roster will likely look like the one the Hornets have now, so any trends that are present now will be important to keep an eye on for the rest of the season and the beginning of the next. These are the things the coaching staff and management will likely try to address either through personnel decisions or off-season emphasis.
Charlotte Hornets’ defense
What happens with the Charlotte Hornets’ defense for the rest of the season will be interesting. Currently, the Hornets are currently 25th in points per possession allowed. They are 28th in points allowed per game (118.9) and have allowed at least 100 points in the last 10 games.
What will make the remaining 22 games fascinating is the adjustment post-trade from Mason Plumlee starting and getting most of the minutes to a combination of Mark Williams and Nick Richards playing center. While Richards and Williams are far younger than Plumlee and will have their defensive growing pains, they are fundamentally different in how they approach the game.
Plumlee was starting, in part, because of his ability to pass and help push an anemic offense in transition. When the team was without Ball due to injury, a case could be made that Plumlee was the best passer on the roster and needed to be on the court as much as possible to facilitate the offense. While his passing will likely be missed, there will also be an effect on the defense.
Williams and Richards are superior basket protectors to Plumlee. In the final game before the All-Star break (and less than a week after the Plumlee trade) the Hornets tied a season-high in blocked shots with 12 against the Spurs. It’s important to remember that the Hornets are last in blocks in the NBA. Having legitimate rim protection will help improve Charlotte’s defense—22nd in the league at points allowed in the paint per game.
Charlotte Hornets’ transition offense
According to NBA.com/stats, the Hornets are currently in the bottom third in points per possession in transition. That’s a number that must improve if the Hornets, led by Ball’s passing brilliance and desire to get out and run, must improve. Coach Steve Clifford has done a good job of incentivizing the team to pick up the pace, they’re fifth in possession per game.
It’ll be interesting what moves the team will attempt to make to improve its transition efficiency. Having wing players that are athletic and can fill the lane or hit catch and shoot threes on the break will be crucial. It will be especially important without Plumlee, the rare center that is comfortable pulling a defensive rebound down and leading the charge into the frontcourt.
Charlotte Hornets’ defensive rebounding
The Hornets are 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage. Defensive rebounding is incredibly important to improving the defense. Without it, a possession can’t end, and a team is vulnerable to offensive rebound putbacks and the dreaded kick out for a three-pointer.
Getting Ball back will help. As much conversation about Ball’s game has been about his passing and deep ball shooting, his rebounding prowess is well above average for a point guard. And the change at the center position will likely aid in that regard as well. It will also perhaps lead to fewer small ball lineups that are vulnerable to giving up offensive rebounds.