Additions have been heavy on the Charlotte side lately with an average of 126.8 points conceded over the last five games. The Hornets again took a nice suitcase at home last night in the overtime defeat against the Pistons of Killian Hayes (134-141).
It was obviously the straw that broke the camel’s back for Steve Clifford who again saw his defense display too lax behavior, as is too often the case since the start of the season. The North Carolina franchise coach took advantage of the press conference to deliver his feelings quite coldly.
“As long as we don’t care about anything other than how many points we’re going to score, we won’t win many games,” he blurted out. “We are not defending, not a single guy. There is not even a clearing. We do not run to come back in defense, we do not hold the ball, on our “pick-and-roll” situations and others (…). All we think about is scoring more points than the other team. It doesn’t work that way in the NBA, and generally speaking, it never works.”
Steve Clifford’s rant
The Hornets coach added a layer to the attitude and lack of investment of his players, aware that without a much more intense defensive effort, his team will not achieve anything.
“If you want to play like that, you better have five All-Stars, and we don’t have that kind of talent. It will not work. We will have to return to our plan on the defensive effort. It’s not that we don’t try to win, it’s that we do it anyhow.”, he added. “You can’t just outclass the opponent on offense in the NBA. And you can’t decide that you’re not going to make efforts like going to the rebound, snatching balls, putting your body in front of the ball. It does not work like that. That’s what we’re going to try to change.”
The game of dunces in the Eastern Conference had however recognized a renewed interest following the announcement of the return to the game of LaMelo Ball. The point guard was rather in good shape in attack with 23 points and 11 assists, but (as always) did not really shine with his vigor in defense. Even he, however, identified the problem.
“We have to focus on defense and find a solution. As soon as we achieve this, we can turn the situation around”he slipped after the match.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| terry rozier | 19 | 37.0 | 40.7 | 33.1 | 82.5 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 22.2 |
| Kelly Oubre, Jr. | 27 | 33.0 | 43.7 | 31.8 | 71.8 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 20.8 |
| Lamelo Ball | 3 | 32.8 | 41.5 | 31.3 | 80.0 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 19.3 |
| Gordon Hayward | 11 | 32.3 | 44.5 | 38.1 | 76.7 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 16.3 |
| Pj Washington | 27 | 31.9 | 41.7 | 32.7 | 77.6 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 15.1 |
| Jalen Mcdaniels | 27 | 26.8 | 44.3 | 33.7 | 87.2 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 10.4 |
| mason plumlee | 27 | 27.9 | 58.8 | 0.0 | 56.8 | 3.1 | 6.2 | 9.3 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 9.5 |
| Dennis Smith | 15 | 27.9 | 46.3 | 33.3 | 50.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 9.3 |
| Nick Richards | 27 | 18.9 | 60.7 | 0.0 | 74.4 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 6.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 9.0 |
| Theo Maledon | 25 | 16.9 | 44.4 | 37.5 | 91.2 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 5.7 |
| james bouknight | 21 | 15.8 | 33.9 | 25.0 | 68.2 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 5.1 |
| Bryce McGowens | 12 | 15.2 | 41.9 | 37.5 | 91.7 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| mark williams | 3 | 4.3 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.7 |
| Kai Jones | 18 | 10.2 | 46.9 | 27.3 | 70.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.1 |
| Jt Thor | 17 | 9.3 | 30.8 | 19.0 | 77.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Cody Martin | 1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
