The Charlotte Hornets went into Fiserv Forum to face the Milwaukee Bucks and looked void of life after losing 130-106.
After the first quarter, the game was knotted up at 32. Halfway through the second quarter is where things got kind of scary. The Bucks outscored the Hornets 44-21, helping Milwaukee build and insurmountable lead and just run away after that.
With the loss, the Hornets have dropped 11 of their last 13 games. There has just been a lot of little things that they have failed to do in this skid. With that said, here are three reasons why they have been struggling with in this losing streak and their playoff hopes getting out of reach.
Hornets 2022 Playoff Chances
3. The Hornets Lack Rebounding
In this game against the Bucks alone, the Hornets got smashed on the glass 62-41. They were outrebounded in the game against the Detroit Pistons as well. The lack of front court depth has really hurt them. Mason Plumlee is a solid starting center, but he hasn't had a lot of impactful games as of late. He's also not a supreme rebounder or shot-blocker for that matter. It doesn't help that they don't have Nick Richards available because of a nagging injury.
Montrezl Harrell has been a great pickup for this young Hornets team, but just like Plumlee, he is not an elite rebounder. Teams are constantly pounding Charlotte on the glass on a nightly basis.
The solution? They need to gang rebound, aka everyone just needs to crash the glass. When you're lacking size on depth on the inside, it's the only way to stay competitive on that front.
2. Starless nights for Charlotte
To keep things black and white, the Hornets' best players haven't been as consistent as they should be. Sure LaMelo Ball is the only player on the roster who was selected to the All-Star game, but they have a few top-notch scoring options. However, they haven't shown up and neither has Ball himself.
Ball did step up against the Bucks, finishing with 24 points. Nonetheless, Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier need to do more. It's not just scoring specifically either. Whether it is being a playmaker, keeping the defense honest, playing defense, anything is good enough as long as it pertains to winning. It does not help that they're missing out on another major contributor in Gordon Hayward, but there is no excuses.
The Hornets have enough talent on the roster to make things competitive and claw into a playoff spot. They just have to find a way to get the job done.
1. The Hornets Need Defense
This is a simple one. In all their losses in this recent skid, they have given up well over 100 points in each one. Even if offense does rule in the NBA today, getting stops still helps you win games.
Some of the elite teams in the league know how to get the job done on both sides of the ball. Those are the teams that will be playing deep into April and May. The Hornets still haven't managed to really lock in on that side of the ball and it has come back to hurt them down the stretch of games–which eventually slows down their offense. From there, they can't seem to find a groove and they kind of just roll over.
Those are three key reasons the Hornets are struggling to stay a float in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. After losing to the Bucks, the Hornets have fell down to the tenth spot, which is the the last spot for a play-in bid. The clock is ticking after every game, with every loss pushing them further away from being a real contender for anything.
After the Bucks matchup, both LaMelo Ball and PJ Washington described the loss as “unacceptable.” They both agreed that they have to figure something out as well and they weren't really sure how they really lost 11 of their last 13.
It's an uphill battle for sure, but they still have a chance to make this season mean something. They are just a little short on time. The Hornets face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday before heading back to Charlotte. Definitely another must win game for Charlotte.
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