The Charlotte Hornets dashed the Los Angeles Lakers' hopes of starting their run after the All-Star break on a good note. Despite the availability of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers fell 100-97.
Hornets star LaMelo Ball preyed on Los Angeles' vulnerability, scoring 12 in the fourth quarter to finish with 27 points. He got plenty of help from Miles Bridges, who put up a game-high 29 markers while continuing to prove his mettle on defense.
Interestingly, six Hornets players outrebounded Los Angeles' starting center, Jaxson Hayes. Still, the Purple and Gold ended up with three more rebounds, as Doncic, James, and Rui Hachimura combined for 26 boards.
Moussa Diabate was a DNP-CD in Los Angeles
Maybe if Charlotte subbed Moussa Diabate in, it would have gained an advantage in the rebounding department. However, the fan-favorite didn't see a second of action on Wednesday, as Charles Lee shuffled almost-Laker Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic throughout the evening at the five.
One of the huge concerns for the Hornets when the Lake Show rescinded the Williams trade after they had already acquired Nurkic from the Phoenix Suns was Diabate's playing time. The French youngster has proven worthy of getting significant minutes, and it's safe to assume that part of why the franchise was willing to let go of one of its supposed cornerstones was the emergence of "The Moose."
Unfortunately for him, Williams and Nurkic appear to be hurdles to his quest to become a bona fide rotation player. He even had a chance to inherit a spot in the starting lineup when the trade had not yet been overturned.
Still, there might be a pathway for Diabate to get some playing time and continue his development even with Williams and Nurkic on the roster. It will heavily depend on how Lee uses "The Bosnian Beast" in the second unit.
The Lakers tiff showed the vet's potential to be a facilitator and ability to hit outside shots. He dished out a team-high seven assists and attempted all three of his shots from beyond the arc.
With the season already lost, the Hornets can afford to experiment with a twin-tower combo of Diabate and Nurkic. Spacing probably won't be too much of a problem since his new teammate can initiate the offense from the post and has a range that can extend to the 3-point land.
The casualty of such a move would be Tidjane Salaun. On the flip side, the rookie might be better off working on his game in the G League. Diabate is undoubtedly the more NBA-ready player.