Reality quickly set in for the Charlotte Hornets as their two-game winning streak was followed by arguably their worst loss this season. They had no answer for the Detroit Pistons' physicality, a problem that had already been apparent before Saturday. And if the Hornets cannot find a solution for it anytime soon, it's tough to expect them to take the leap toward legitimate contention.
The Pistons showed their might on Saturday, completing a dominant 112-86 win to strengthen their hold on first place in the Eastern Conference standings. However, Charlotte managed to keep it close until late in the first half, taking a 45-42 lead, before the opponent put up 13 unanswered points to finish the second quarter.
Interestingly, the Hornets were able to rally early in the fourth frame, trimming the margin to 81-77. Unfortunately, it was all Detroit from that point. They scored just nine in the final 10:43 of the contest and offered little resistance to the top seed's onslaught.
Frustrating evening all around
The Pistons' defense and physicality caused every Hornet who played on Saturday except Ryan Kalkbrenner to shoot less than 50 percent from the field. The starters minus Kalkbrenner combined to make just 18 of their 59 attempts, equivalent to 30.5 percent.
Charlotte's ability to outrebound opponents, one of its major strengths this season, was also neutralized. It recorded 43 boards but allowed 61. That was eight more than its previous worst mark, which occurred in Buzz City's overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Three Pistons players, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Cade Cunningham, had double-digit rebounds. Meanwhile, no one on the Hornets hauled in more than seven rebounds. Kalkbrenner was among the three who registered seven boards, although cleaning the glass is not exactly his forte. Moussa Diabate has typically been a menace in the rebounds regardless of matchups, but his knee injury may be more serious than we thought because of his recent struggles.
Moreover, Motor City's physical brand of basketball made Ball a non-factor. Just when folks thought he had finally turned things around this season with an efficient performance (28 points on 10-16 shooting) in his last outing, he was limited to eight points on 3-14 shooting by the Pistons. The star guard was visibly frustrated, fouling out at the 6:30 mark of the fourth quarter and after just 23 minutes of action.
It's easy to say that the Hornets simply ran into a brick wall in Detroit. However, folding like a cheap suit cannot be their default response to increased physicality from opponents.
The disappointing game should serve as a wake-up call for the organization to address it. Not even the impending return of Grant Williams can take care of the issue, although it should help significantly. The problem can be solved more by a shift in attitude or mindset than simply making some personnel moves.