The Charlotte Hornets only have themselves to blame for their heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Raptors. No, it wasn't just because they couldn't stop Immanuel Quickley's buzzer-beating game-winner. It was their inability to put themselves in the best position to win, due in large part to a lack of playmaking depth.
None of the Hornets' reserves dished out an assist on Wednesday. Making it worse is that they combined for 12 turnovers, with each of them logging at least two. Collin Sexton laying an egg in the assist department was probably the most surprising, as it was the first time that happened this season.
Of course, they deserve credit for helping hold Toronto to 97 points. Additionally, Sexton led all scorers with 22 points, PJ Hall picked up the slack on the offensive boards as the Raptors focused on preventing Moussa Diabate from wreaking havoc there, and Tidjane Salaun brought his usual energy. Josh Green and Liam McNeeley also contributed on both ends of the court.
Unfortunately, none of those ultimately mattered, as the offense cratered when LaMelo Ball sat on the bench, leaving Charlotte with no one to initiate the offense.
LaMelo Ball needs help
The Hornets star ended up playing just 25 minutes, as the team has continued to manage his load amid his bout with injuries this season. It's also worth noting that it is on the first leg of a back-to-back, with the Indiana Pacers visiting on Thursday.
Interestingly, Ball registered a plus/minus of +17 to lead all players on either side. However, the Raptors outscored Charlotte by a total of 18 whenever he was subbed out. Perhaps the outcome would have been different if he had not been under the mysterious heavy-minute restriction.
Brandon Miller's absence also didn't help, as the Melo-less minutes resulted in a lack of offensive creativity. Kon Knueppel even bore the brunt of the increased defensive attention. The rookie shot just 4-17 from the field.
Hornets have a tough decision to make
A dose of good news for Buzz City is that it almost clinched the regular-season series against the East's No. 4 seed; it just couldn't get the job done. Ball nearly delivered the dub when he coolly sank an off-hand layup with 1.6 seconds left to put Charlotte up 96-95. However, Quickley had a brutal response in the ensuing possession.
A major reason the Hornets nearly came away with the upset was its stingy defense. Don't look now, but they have held opponents to fewer than 100 points for a third consecutive contest. If their offense had kept up, they would have coupled their remarkable defensive performance with a third straight win.
Of course, bringing in a facilitator is easier said than done. It's unclear if the Hornets fancy any of the point guards available in free agency or via trade. But if they want a sustainable offense on most nights, having another player who can create for others besides Ball should be a priority.
It would also be uncomfortable for Charles Lee, as integrating a new guard in the rotation could mean fewer minutes for Green and McNeeley. Such a decision would be necessary and urgent, though, to help the squad start notching more wins.