The Hornets traded LaMelo Ball and bet they could make a different approach work. Nine games in, they’re having trouble getting much of anything to work offensively.
Yahoo Sports insider Kevin O’Connor isn’t inclined to dress that up.
“It’s panic time in Charlotte,” O’Connor wrote on X, via Zach Roberts of Hornets On SI.
The Hornets dropped to 3-6 following a loss to the Nets, with the league’s worst offensive rating. O’Connor highlighted a particularly unpleasant combination. They’re taking more than half their shots from three while making fewer than 30%.
That’s a difficult way to win, regardless of how much confidence a coach wants his shooters to have.
“Sion James cannot hit the side of the backboard, yet Charles Lee keeps empowering him to launch bricks,” O’Connor wrote.
James has taken on a larger role with Kon Knueppel sidelined. Knueppel’s latest left hamstring strain leaves the Hornets without a reliable timetable for getting one of their most important shooters back.
Brandon Miller is averaging 22 points, but needing more than 20 shots per game to get there. O’Connor also pointed to poor body language, suggesting Charlotte’s struggles are extending beyond missed shots.
“This team looks broken,” he wrote.
Broken is a strong word for November. There’s time for healthier lineups, better shooting and adjustments from Lee.
But the Hornets don’t need to wait until January to recognize that the current approach needs some work. If the threes aren’t falling, they have to find another way to generate offense.
Confidence is useful. So is giving yourself a second option.
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