The Charlotte Hornets' descent to the bottom of the standings this season has been a source of frustration for a lot of fans. Perhaps some of them would be forgiving if the Hornets were at least entertaining to see in person or on TV.
Unfortunately, the past weeks have been brutal for Charlotte. Not only has the team been giving up a ton of points during its seven-game losing streak except against the injury-ravaged Dallas Mavericks, but it has also displayed an offense that has been a toil to watch. In an era where it's normal to see squads run up their scores to 100 in three quarters, the Hornets have no business averaging 94.2 points per contest in their previous six meetings.
Injuries have only been partly to blame for their struggles, as there are other factors that have affected the club. For one, the lack of a creative offensive playbook has resulted in the Hornets ranking lowly in several stats, including field-goal percentage, average points, and average assists.
LaMelo Ball wants Charlotte to push the pace
Perhaps coach Charles Lee has to try exploring other options on offense because, evidently, whatever he has been doing, especially relying on too many 3-pointers, is not working most nights.
The team has become too predictable, and a majority of its players aren't skilled, experienced, or healthy enough to break down defenses in half-court sets. At the moment, only LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges have shown to be capable of creating shots for themselves and their teammates. Recent acquisition Damion Baugh has also been a revelation, although it remains to be seen if the two-way player can continue his decent play off the bench.
Ball offered a suggestion that Lee should definitely pay attention to. After the Hornets' loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, the point guard said, "I feel like we've just got to find our identity — see what we're going to do, see the shots we want, and then go for those shots. I like to push fast, play fast pace."
Intriguingly, Lee talked about having his team play faster than it had previously done, which sounded perfect for the franchise's cornerstones, particularly Ball and Brandon Miller. But 60 games in, the Hornets are 21st in pace and second-to-the-last in fastbreak points, just ahead of the head coach's former employer, the Boston Celtics.
For some reason, though, Lee has had Charlotte trying to play methodically on offense, which would work well only if the roster is filled with pieces with high basketball IQ. Despite the clamor for the squad to pick up the pace, it has yet to make a stab at displaying a higher-octane offense on a regular basis. Maybe the coaching staff will listen now that Ball has spoken up about it.