Don’t believe the Hornets are for real? Terry Rozier understands the skepticism
Terry Rozier doesn’t claim the Charlotte Hornets have arrived. He has no beef with critics.
“There are always going to be doubters. That’s what keeps us humble,” Rozier said after scoring 31 points in a 135-102 blowout of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“We’re happy where we’re at, but there’s always room for improvement.”
The Hornets are 17-18 going into the All-Star break, which gives them every chance to end a four-season absence from the playoffs. Rozier was right when he said after the game, “I think we’ve put a lot of people on watch.”
They have earned the right to be taken seriously. However, there are plenty of flaws, even more injuries and a hellish schedule the second half of the season.
All-Star weekend couldn’t come at a more needed time. The Hornets ended Wednesday with core players Cody Zeller, Devonte Graham and P.J. Washington all hurt. Zeller (hip contusion) and Graham (sore left knee) were ruled out pre-game, and Washington sprained his right ankle in the second half.
If there is a theme to navigating this season, it’s “comfort in chaos.” The Hornets have now gone a month with a half-dozen rotation players floating in and out of the lineup. The previous game against the Timberwolves, Feb. 12 in Charlotte, was the COVID-19 scare when all the players sat in their cars in the Spectrum Center loading dock, waiting an hour for test results before being allowed to play.
Coach James Borrego said he’s learning to roll with it in a way he never previously has. You don’t worry about controlling variables, because more than ever they are inevitable and constant.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Borrego said, sounding more amazed than frustrated. “Games (with sudden absences), disruptions to practice and walk-throughs, (setbacks) to our development program.”
It’s survival in pandemic times. It’s surprising and impressive that the third-youngest team in the NBA, a roster with two such significant new pieces in Gordon Hayward and rookie LaMelo Ball, has fared so well.
Still much to correct and refine
Going 3-3 on this West Coast trip was stunning. They beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA in the Phoenix Suns and came back from 8 points down in the final 70 seconds to win in Sacramento. Wednesday, they took advantage of a Timberwolves team that looked utterly discombobulated.
That doesn’t mean all is well. Over the past several weeks, the Hornets have gone from solid to unreliable on defense. The first month they hovered 8th to 12th in the 30-team rankings of defensive efficiency. Entering Wednesday’s game, they had drifted to 23rd, allowing 1.101 points per opponent possession.
That won’t cut it. The Hornets aren’t nearly talented enough offensively to overcome being one of the NBA’s 10 worst defensive teams.
“We’ve got to get back to defending at a higher level,” Borrego said before tipoff. “We’re a better defense than we’ve shown the last couple of weeks, and we’ve got to get back there.”
Get well, get rested
There is a connection between getting right on defense and getting healthy. Zeller might not be a rim-protector, but the Hornets suffer when Borrego can’t use Zeller and Bismack Biyombo as a tag-team at center. The Hornets must hope Washington’s ankle sprain isn’t serious, because he’s also key to being defensively sound.
Hayward playing, after missing two games with a contusion on his right (shooting) hand, is progress. No telling whether Graham’s knee will allow him to play immediately when the Hornets return from break against the Detroit Pistons on March 11.
The schedule will be a grind, with only two instances the rest of the way when the Hornets have two days off in a row. Healing refreshing now feel like a big deal.
“Getting our full squad back sooner than later,” Borrego said of his greatest hope. “It’s been a grueling couple of months.”
Borrego spent more than a decade as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. He pulled a theme from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich when asked his priority for the second half of the season.
“Ask more of themselves,” Borrego said. “Ask more of each other.”
Rozier set that into action even before the team plane left Minneapolis. He said he’ll take a day or two to decompress, then spend the rest of the break checking into the gym daily.
“I’ll make sure they’re with me,” Rozier said of teammates. “Doing what they need to do.”
