The Charlotte Hornets have arguably been one of the two worst teams in the league since November 23. The squad and the New Orleans Pelicans have won just a single contest since that date.
Fans have been calling on the Hornets to make a splash by trading for a key player and salvage whatever they can for the rest of the season. That's easier said than done, as doing so will require the organization to part ways with some of its assets. And for a rebuilding team, it's probably wiser to be a seller than a buyer in the trade market.
Making some internal changes might be the better option for Charlotte, as adjusting its playbook can help revitalize its slump on offense and defense. In addition, changing its rotation could result in immediate dividends.
Promising youngster should be playing over Nick Richards
One of those whose role has to be thoroughly reviewed is Nick Richards. To his credit, the veteran center did well in the season's early goings as he retained his role as Mark Williams' replacement in the starting lineup. However, an injury sidelined him for nearly a month, and it wasn't long after his return that Williams also made his comeback.
Richards' recent performances have shown that he hasn't really improved that much. While he has put up some impressive stat lines, he has continued to be one-dimensional on offense, frustrated fans with his inability to catch passes regularly, and shown a tendency to be a cone on defense.
The fact that Richards has averaged a plus/minus of -12.7 per game in the Hornets' previous three meetings should tell Charles Lee it's time to give Moussa Diabate a more prominent role in the rotation and stop wasting his potential.
The 22-year-old Frenchman can do what his fellow Hornets center does more effectively. He has rebounded at a higher rate and looks like he cares on defense.
Some might argue that Diabate's offense still needs polishing. While that may be true, he also showed flashes of his potential as an inside scorer when he put up a career-high 14 points on 6-6 shooting in Charlotte's blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Another reason to take a look at "Moose" as the backup big is that he has registered the highest on-court (6.1) and lowest off-court (13.0) net rating among all qualified Hornets players. The numbers and the eye test have proven that Lee has to transfer the keys from Richards to Diabate as soon as possible.
What will happen to the Jamaican pro, then? Instead of tanking his value, the front office might want to put him on the trading block. It wouldn't be that hard to find a taker for Richards, given his abilities (despite his weaknesses) and bargain contract.