With the play-in tournament right around the corner, the Charlotte Hornets have to nip some bad habits in the bud as soon as possible.
As of late, their offense has found life again and is flourishing overall. As long as two of their Big Three of Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges shows up, Charlotte has the chance to win every time it steps on the floor. The most important key to the Hornets' success moving forward to the postseason, though, will be defense.
“Defense wins championships” may be a tired cliché across all sports, but that doesn't mean it's any less true.
Most of the title favorites in the NBA this season are elite defensive teams, a trend that dates back decades. It is a good thing Rozier realizes that defense will be a key component in the play-in games and the playoffs if the Hornets get there.
“It's definitely paying attention to detail on the defensive end,” Rozier said of his team's biggest need heading into the postseason. “Once we take care of what we need on defense, that's our best offense.”
James Borrego has been preaching the importance of defense all year long, but maybe it has finally resonated with Charlotte. They did give up 144 points in back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers recently, porous defense that has perhaps helped the Hornets recommit on that side of the ball as the regular season comes to a close. They haven't held a team to under 100 points since March 2nd against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is kind of embarrassing.
If Charlotte can figure out how to hold teams to under 100 points come the play-in tournament, this team could easily find its way to the playoffs.
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