Charlotte Hornets are evolving, figuring out how to win without LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets can’t possibly be as dynamic offensively as they were with LaMelo Ball.
So they absolutely must be better defensively without Ball.
That is the theme that runs through this three-game winning streak. The Hornets beat the Miami Heat 110-105 on Friday to stay in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Since giving up 125 to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Hornets have allowed 97, 97 and 105.
Ball’s broken right wrist was sobering to his teammates in the sense that they can no longer lean on him to fuel easy transition baskets with magical passes. There was only one way they could avoid a collapse with him out at least six weeks, maybe the rest of the season.
“After the injury we have to find ways to squeeze out improvement in our team,” coach James Borrego said postgame Friday. “It’s on the defensive end for us. When we’re locked in, we have the ability to be a pretty dang good defense.
“The last three games represent that. I thought (lately) our group has been fantastic.”
Maybe not fantastic, but solid and improved
I don’t see this group ever being elite defensively, so Borrego’s “fantastic” comment might be hyperbole. However, there is a distinct difference in how they’ve guarded since those back-to-back stinkers in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers.
The biggest difference lately has been improved communication and teamwork. As guard Terry Rozier described it, “Playing on a string.”
Consider how hard the Hornets made Heat star Jimmy Butler work for his 20 points Friday. Butler was certainly effective with those points and nine assists, but he seldom just bullied the Hornets one-on-one the way he typically does.
That reflects covering for each other — talking through switches and not leaving any one defender by himself to be embarrassed.
“We cover for each other a lot more,” said Rozier, who had 26 points and a career-high 11 assists Friday. “We had talked about it after the Clippers game — what we need to do. We need to honor it — trust your brothers.”
Ex-Hornet Marvin Williams, one of the most cerebral defenders I’ve covered, said the key to switches has to be trust; having faith that a teammate will be there when you hand off an assigned player, so that you won’t end up embarrassed.
That’s how Friday looked defensively, at least when the Hornets second-half turnovers weren’t giving the Heat easy transition baskets.
“That’s how you’ve got to play — helping each other out, being in the gap,” Rozier said. “In this league, it’s so hard to guard guys one-on-one.”
A Bismack Biyombo renaissance
Borrego emphasizing defense of late is reflected in the minutes: You know Miles Bridges will get plenty, but the other two defense-centric guys — Cody Martin and Bismack Biyombo — have floated in and out of the rotation. Martin played 15 minutes Friday, including seven in the fourth quarter after the Heat made it close.
Biyombo stepped back into the starting lineup while Cody Zeller missed two games with bursitis in his left shoulder. Biyombo continues to start, and that’s now totally at Borrego’s discretion with Zeller healthy again.
Biyombo played 28 minutes. He had seven rebounds and two blocks, including the rejection of Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer that ended this game.
“Biz gives us tremendous defense,” Borrego said. “In his communication, in his rim presence.”
I never anticipated Biyombo playing heavy minutes again after Zeller returned from a broken hand early in the season. Borrego’s rotation fluctuates a lot, particularly at center. But for now, Biz is starting and that feels like a statement:
That if you guard, you will play.
This story was originally published March 27, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
