Kembali
The Charlotte Hornets had a second opportunity to take on the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, allowing them a chance to end their losing streak and continue stacking wins while not fully healthy. They completely and utterly blew it.
During a stretch in the fourth quarter, the Nets made eight of nine field goals while the Hornets made five of 11. That pretty much sealed it. Kon Knueppel's debut was cut short after leg soreness, which could be a massive loss. Coby White provided nothing as he continues to work off the rust.
Here's who stood out, for better or worse.
Grayson Allen has been one of the Hornets' best players. He's shooting at a high mark, and his overall numbers are good. Last night, he was one of the few players who bothered to show up. He scored 22 on 6/11 shooting. He led the team in assists and was +7 on the night.
The nightmare start to Brandon Miller's leading-man era continued. He was one of the worst players on the court for either side, shooting 2/15 overall and 1/10 from three. He was -16, had only five combined rebounds and assists, and turned it over three times.
Naz Reid doesn't always show up, but when he does, it's against the Nets. He was great again in Brooklyn. This time, he dropped in a team-leading 28 points on 11/18 shooting. He also added nine rebounds and two assists.
Maybe it's rust, but Coby White didn't look this bad when he returned from injury last season. He continues to provide very little: four points on 2/9 shooting, two assists to two turnovers, five rebounds, and a -15 showing.
Shockingly, Ryan Kalkbrenner has been the Hornets' best player this year. He was good again in Brooklyn, scoring six points without missing a shot and adding four rebounds in 19 minutes. He was the most positive player for the Hornets with a +8.
It's not really his fault, but Kon Knueppel is a loser here, too. Six minutes of game action before getting hurt again is reminiscent of the Hornets of old. He missed his lone three-point attempt, but he did make three free throws.
The disappointing turn for Moussa Diabaté has been a surprise storyline this year, and the center was not good against the Nets. Usually, his impact goes beyond the traditional numbers, but the Hornets were outscored by a team-worst 18 points in his 29 minutes.
Charles Lee looked like a future Coach of the Year last season. This year, he can't seem to find the right buttons to push, and he seems to be too reliant on the wrong players. If he can't coach his way to a win in Brooklyn with Brandon Miller and Coby White healthy, that's a problem.