The Charlotte Hornets can't wait for Coby White to report for duty. That much was evident when they endured a scoreless five-minute stretch on Thursday that flipped their 10-point lead into a four-point deficit and changed the tune of the contest.
The resumption of the regular season for the Hornets was off to a good start. They went up by as many as 11 points in the first quarter of their Houston Rockets matchup. The hosts maintained a comfortable cushion until the 6:09 mark of the second period. After Kon Knueppel's pull-up jumper gave them a 45-35 margin, they allowed the Rockets to go on a 14-0 run.
Here is what happened to Charlotte's offensive possessions during that stretch: Knueppel missed a three; Ryan Kalkbrenner turned the ball over; Brandon Miller clanked a midrange jumper; Josh Green made a bad pass; Miller had two consecutive misses from near the paint and beyond the arc; Tre Mann missed a fadeaway jumper; and PJ Hall had his shot at the rim blocked. Miller finally ended the drought with a layup at the 1:36 mark of the quarter.
It was a series of poor decisions and bad shot selections, and White could have helped steady the ship had he been available to play. Instead, the Hornets lost all momentum and found themselves playing from behind for nearly the rest of the evening. They eventually lost 105-101.
Continuing to wait on White
We still don't know when the point guard will finally recover from the calf strain that he might have played through earlier in the season on his previous team. When Charles Lee was asked about it, the coach’s answer only proved that there is no definitive timeline for White's return to health. Considering that the front office apparently sees him as a long-term piece, it’s understandable to be as cautious as possible in managing his injury.
The silver lining for the Hornets is that they can weather the storm with the help of a collective playmaking effort and sturdy defense. They deserve credit for keeping up with Houston until late in the fourth stanza despite the absence of Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, both of whom are midway through their four-game suspensions.
Still, if Charlotte wants to make a successful playoff push, it has to pray that White can join the mix as soon as possible. Based on the fact that Miller went 5-22 from the field (1-12 from 3-point land), that the reserves combined for just a pair of assists, and that they almost failed to breach the 100-point mark if it weren't for Knueppel's last-second 3-pointer, the Hornets could surely benefit from the 26-year-old finally suiting up.
Meanwhile, Lee will need to be creative with his rotation to notch as many wins as possible in the home stretch of the regular season.