Getting beaten by over 50 to another team likely headed to the lottery when only Brandon Miller is missing from the starting lineup is a new kind of low for the Charlotte Hornets. Of course, another loss can help increase the squad's odds of landing a top draft pick this summer, but it's not a good sign when players can't show enough pride on the floor when they're getting historically blown out.
LaMelo Ball looked nothing like the star that helped his crew defeat the Los Angeles Lakers two games ago. He recorded a mere five points on 1-10 shooting and dished out two assists.
Of course, Ball is prone to have a horrible night, as has occasionally been the case this season. But in contests like the one on Saturday, his teammates should be able to step up. Among those expected to help out is Mark Williams. However, the big man was passive for almost the entire evening against the Blazers. He put up just two points in the first half, and if it weren't for a garbage-time run, he wouldn't have finished with 10 points.
Hornets were likely wary of an inconsistent Mark Williams
Williams didn't do much on Saturday to give Hornets fans reasons to rejoice that the team's trade-deadline deal with the Los Angeles Lakers was reversed. If anything, the loss showed why the front office was wise in trying to convert him into three (or four, depending on how that pick swap in 2030 would have looked like) assets.
Does Williams have game-changing talent? Definitely, as evidenced by his dominant performance against Jaren Jackson Jr., who could be on his way to securing a second Defensive Player of the Year plum in light of the news that Victor Wembanyama will be missing the rest of the season. Does Williams have the physique of a potential star? Sure. Lakers fans kept raving about his 7-0 stature and 9-9 standing reach before they amusingly changed their mind about him after the trade was rescinded.
Unfortunately, the Duke University product's motor and mental fortitude continue to remain suspect. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate even looked deserving of more minutes than the starter.
Only time will tell what Charlotte plans to do with Williams moving forward. There is widespread sentiment that it should explore trading him again in the offseason. But if he wants to stay in Buzz City, he should treat the remainder of the campaign as something of an audition piece — that is, if he can remain healthy enough.
It's worth noting that his Jekyll-and-Hyde performances have not endeared himself to many Hornets fans. In the same vein, it's hard to imagine that he has a lot of fans among the front office personnel. So, don't be surprised if Charlotte tries to move him again a few months from now.