When will we see words become action in Charlotte Hornets’ playoff chase?
The Charlotte Hornets kept saying, following a 91-84 home loss to the Miami Heat, that they still view themselves as a playoff team.
It felt like one of those, “Don’t tell me, show me” moments.
Teams fighting for their playoff lives can’t afford to lose to peers, particularly at home. Teams fighting for their playoff lives don’t match a season high in turnovers, as the Hornets did Wednesday (21). Teams fighting for their playoff lives don’t give up 18 offensive rebounds or look so befuddled trying to score against a zone defense.
Teams fighting for their playoff lives sure don’t lose five consecutive home games. The Hornets have, falling to 29-35 and out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets have 18 games left: Seven at Spectrum Center and 11 on the road. They are a game behind the Heat for that last playoff spot, and a likely first-round pairing with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Hornets are in a virtual tie with the Orlando Magic in ninth place. So it wouldn’t take a miracle to pull this out, particularly since the Hornets have 2-1 advantages in the season series against Miami and Orlando.
Still, the trajectory is concerning: They have now lost seven of their last nine and are no longer a strong home team.
This was a sloppy game for both teams — neither shot well — but the Heat was better at mucking it up. They set up in a zone full of long arms and did a great job of disrupting Hornets star Kemba Walker.
Walker made his first three shots in the game’s initial 17 minutes, then went 2-of-14 the rest of the way. The Heat shadowed Walker with multiple defenders and dared anyone else to take over. The Hornet who came closest was Frank Kaminsky, who made 8-of-11 from the field for 20 points.
The goal
I had no problem with the Hornets saying since training camp that their top goal this season is to reach the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. A team so full of expensive veterans — six players make $12 million or more this season — should expect to be in the post-season.
So close the deal in an Eastern Conference race that is less than daunting. The vets kept saying Wednesday they believe.
“We’ve been there. We understand. We’re not thinking like” the playoff chase is slipping, said Nic Batum. “It’s not like we’re five games behind.
“We were ninth, then we moved up to eighth yesterday (with the Magic’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers). In this race, you never know what will happen.”
Which means the only thing the Hornets do control is their own performance. They aren’t holding up their end right now, and the schedule is about to toughen: Four of the next five are on the road, including trips to Milwaukee and Houston against elite teams.
A final West Coast trip starts at the end of the month and includes games against the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz. It’s hard to picture the Hornets making the playoffs if they’re not above .500 entering that trip.
Stakes
Everything about this season includes the backdrop of Walker’s free-agency in July. He says he loves it here, and Hornets management says they’d love for him to finish his career in Charlotte.
I believe both sides mean what they said. I don’t believe missing the playoffs would be some acid test for whether Walker wants to commit for the long haul (or that management locks the future to Walker).
But why test that? The Hornets need to show some progress, not just drone through the start of April and call it a season.
Will they fight or yield? Wednesday wasn’t a good sign.
This story was originally published March 7, 2019 at 7:00 AM with the headline "When will we see words become action in Charlotte Hornets’ playoff chase?."
