Saturday wasn’t the worst-ever Hornets loss, it just felt that way in Milwaukee
If you’re one of those Charlotte Hornets fans who thinks they’ve been playing too well to maximize their draft-lottery chances, then congratulations.
Saturday in Milwaukee should qualify as your favorite game of the season.
The Hornets looked feeble against the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks, trailing by as many as 44 in a 137-96 loss. This was the worst game of an 8-13 start, but it wasn’t close to the worst loss in franchise history.
In fact, it wasn’t the worst loss to the Bucks.
That was in January of 2000, when the Hornets lost in Milwaukee, 137-87. I vaguely remember that game for the grumbling then-Hornet Anthony Mason did under his breath post-game. Mason would mumble streams of obscenities on nights like this, his eyes darting from teammate to teammate with looks of rage.
Saturday, there was no such venting of anger when media was allowed into the Hornets’ locker room. The expressions on their faces looked overwhelmed. This was a measure just how far this team is, both in talent and experience, from the elite of the NBA.
It happens
Since forward Marvin Williams has the most NBA service — 14 seasons — I asked if he had experienced anything quite like this.
“Unfortunately, yeah,” Williams said. “If you play enough, you’ll experience games like that.”
Strangely enough, this wasn’t even the worst margin of defeat in the NBA on Saturday. The Atlanta Hawks lost to the Houston Rockets, 158-111. That game was distinctive in that Rockets guard James Harden scored 60 points in just 31 minutes.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was limited Saturday only by how much coach Mike Budenholzer chose to play him. Antetokounmpo totaled 26 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes, playing only six after halftime. Even with their superstar playing just six second-half minutes, the Bucks outscored the Hornets 71-47 in the final two quarters.
Saturday was tied for the fifth-worst margin of defeat in Hornets history; since the NBA arrived in Charlotte in 1988, they have lost by 50, 47, 45 and 44 points.
Is there anything constructive that can come from such a humiliating beating?
“Especially when you’re younger, you’re going to get your tail kicked every once in a while,” Williams said. “You don’t expect to win every game, but you expect to play well. You want to play as well as you can. And tonight, that’s not what we did.”
Fragile
The word that sums up this Hornets roster is “fragile.” There is some talent, and certainly potential. But their poor defense, their unreliable rebounding and their tendency to commit turnovers (though that has improved lately), leaves them with a tiny margin for error.
I think they have slightly overachieved by winning eight of their first 21 games, and that’s been mostly about maximizing end-of-game opportunities against other bad teams. The bottom third of the NBA is weaker than usual, so there will be final-minute opportunities like the back-to-back victories over the Detroit Pistons last week.
But it’s telling that they haven’t beaten a good team except the Pacers when Indiana was missing its top two big men. The Hornets need someone to protect the paint and more physical complementary players. An enforcer like Mason, who flat-out scared opponents with his bulk and nasty attitude, doesn’t exist on this roster.
It’s going to take a while to find those parts. In the meantime, they’re developing young guys such as Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington.
And, hey, they are collecting draft chances; maybe losing by 41 should count double in the lottery odds.
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
