For the first time in almost five years, LaMelo Ball came off the bench. It appears the Charlotte Hornets are looking for ways to prepare him for increased minutes in the fourth quarter in back-to-back sets. However, it will only work if they have another true point guard to replace Ball in the starting lineup.
Collin Sexton started the game against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Unfortunately, the Hornets' offense looked atrocious during the first five minutes of the opening frame. They fell to a 16-6 hole before Charles Lee decided to put Ball on the court.
After the substitution, Charlotte promptly began its comeback trail. However, the Pacers have kept them at bay, responding with key buckets when the home squad looked like it was about to start a strong run. The first quarter ended with Indiana leading 33-30, courtesy of a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Ball.
Experiment gone wrong?
You have to hand it to Lee and his coaching staff for trying out some risky moves that are meant to benefit Ball and the team. Many fans likely remember how the star played only in the final two minutes of Buzz City's heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. He almost called game with a last-second layup before Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley sank a 3-pointer to beat the clock.
The defeat to Toronto demonstrated how the absence of another dependable playmaker besides Ball can limit the Hornets' offense. That reality reared its ugly head when Sexton started at point guard against the Pacers.
It may have been just a small sample, but it's clear that such a strategy could put Charlotte in danger of playing catch-up for the rest of the contest. It then becomes counterintuitive because the team will then have to rely on Ball to expend a lot of energy bailing it out.
Maybe if the Hornets had another facilitator to initiate the offense, Lee's strategy could work. Unfortunately, the offense suffered from a lack of creativity, and the fact that they faced one of the worst teams in the league standings made it more unpleasant.
Lee might have to come up with a different way to preserve Ball unless the front office supplies him with a floor general who can take care of the offense in the minutes that Ball is on the bench.
Of course, a comeback win against the Pacers could vindicate him. The Hornets have already tied the match before halftime, with the 2022 All-Star hitting 20 points before the second quarter buzzer. Still, it wouldn't make Lee's plan less unsound.