The Charlotte Hornets were down a couple starters and even more rotation players, losing to the Miami Heat despite big scoring nights from LaMelo Ball and PJ Washington. What can we take away from their performances? Should the Hornets pursue Zach Lavine? Finally, the guys talk Mark Williams the entire 4th quarter.
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The Charlotte Hornets lose a close game Against the Miami Heat they do so Short-handed what can we realistically Take away from this game we discuss it Today on locked on Hornets you are Locked on Hornets your daily Charlotte Hornets podcast part of the locked on Podcast Network your team every day in a Minute cuz we [Music] Live it's lockon Hornet part of the Lockon podcast Network it's your Team Every day thanks for making us your First listen we are free and available Anywhere you get your podcast and that Includes YouTube there's Doug Branson You can find him on every Hornet boox Score.com with all sorts of writeups you Can also see him on YouTube with the Background has to be pretty close to Complete right Doug I mean else you got Do yeah looks great I've uh well yeah Pretty close I've got a few places on The wall to cover up but I've got Bobbleheads up I've got the Baron Davis And Mashburn Jersey up uh you can't see It but I've got the um yeah there you go If I turn now you can see the uh sort of Section for missfit bobbleheads I've got A Lance Stevenson there got a Dwight Howard got all kinds of a Frank kinsky Stormtrooper bobblehead in there Somewhere I do yeah he's back there it's It's GNA be tough to see you're gonna
Have to zoom in on YouTube if you want To see that uh but yeah I really um I Really like the new setup it's great no It it does look very good plus we love Shea Sano watched our podcast one time Poster that you hung up right above the Left side of your head as you're Watching this and so really cool to see All of that and uh yeah I like it now I What I apologize for is the fish tank Promise I mean it wasn't even a promise It was something I thought might happen Because of the construction going on in The house and then people start Rachel Shout out to Rachel listening to the Pod It came up with probably the best list Of puns that we've ever had from a Single listener Doug ick Batum ick is a Parasite that will infiltrate tanks ick Batum I mean it's freaking brilliant It's brilliant Batum infiltrated our Salary cap for two long you know I mean There are too many parallels to make so Uh no I apologize Nick great stuff there Maybe the fish tank makes an appearance Maybe it doesn't but at least Doug's Background is looking great I'm Walker M You can listen to me on WFNZ every Weekday from 12 to 3 p.m. so I didn't Get to watch this game live I was Broadcasting the Queens men's basketball Game the home opener against High Point Great game came down to the wire they Won 7472 but that's not why you came
Here I was checking my phone live for Hornets updates I was going to spoil it And then go back and watch it later and The Hornets were tied I think it was Somewhere in the second quarter maybe They were even up a few times and so I Felt like okay maybe we can squeak this One out turn on the broadcast on WFNZ Sam Farber informs me that they're Fouling they fell down six and they were Not going to be able to take care of This one Doug eyes on it live what were You making of this game as it was Unfolding yeah it was exciting to watch Them in the first quarter short-handed Team only 10 players available asked After the game if uh Steve Clifford had To give them any kind of raw raw speech He basically said no that everyone Looked around and said oh hey there's Only 10 of us left I guess we got to we Got to really turn up the heat on this One if you will and uh so that was Exciting I mean really it came down to Hornets finally decided to hit some Three-point shots and it was mostly Lamel And PJ I think they took the first I Want to say like eight8 to 10 attempts Were all PJ and lamelo and they were Hitting three-point shots and you know That's been the big that's been the big Story this year they haven't taken or Made a lot of three-point shots and it's
Made it difficult to build leads it's Made it difficult to come back in games And you even had a few unexpected Players making three-point shots like Bryce mcgallen but it was shortlived Because they were short-handed because They didn't have a lot of The Talented Players that they depend on to kind of Carry them through the different Quarters and they were having to reach Deep in the bag uh to you know fill out The rotation and so in the second Quarter uh PJ uh disappeared lamelo uh You know floundered a little bit and uh The heat are the heat I mean they've got A they've got a lot of talented players And they're a tough team and they Eventually made their way back into the Game and the Hornets didn't have enough Firepower at the end to kind of finish a Comeback the bench the rotation the lack Of depth it's hurting this team when They're at full strength and it's Certainly hurting them when they're not At full strength I mean this is the Rotation right now and this is the group That got off the bench and actually Played I thought maybe leaky black would See more minutes but he only got three So Nick Richards played 25 played more Than Mark Williams actually played in The fourth quarter Steve Clifford said Nick Richards was helping our team play Better than when Mark Williams was out
There so Nick Richards gets 25 ish Smith Gets 19 Bryce mwan gets 29 almost 30 Minutes of action and Nick Smith Jr he Makes his meaningful de debut he Actually gets 15 minutes in this contest And if you listen to Steve Clifford After the game said Nick Smith Jr played Better than the guys that were out there I mean he's learning first half it was a Lot for him that they do a lot of stuff That he wasn't ready for and then in the Second half he seemed ready and he Played better than the other vets maybe The other players that you would Normally put in your rotation so Nick Smith Jr should take those comments and Run with them like that is basically Steve Clifford saying he played like Michael Jordan I mean it's tough but With the the fact that you get in and You impress Steve Clifford enough to Continue to Warrant those minutes over Some of the other guys I mean Doug not That he's the main story but he took Advantage of an opportunity I think last Night and I know fans have to be happy Because I know they've wanted to see him Quite a bit Yeah you say he should take The comments and run that's all he does When he's out there he's running around He's a little Scamp he's a little Rascal When he's out there and he was Disruptive he was he was disruptive at Times uh defensively uh because he he
Just has an intensity that is noticeable It pops off the screen but I think it's There's there's two sides of that Comment right it's noticeable because uh Not a not a lot of the Hornets possess That same kind of intensity on on the Defensive end of the floor and so you See it with Nick Smith Jr but look I Mean you know he took a lot of attempts In that last game when he got in and Sort of garbage time minutes for the Knicks and this one I thought he did a Better job of sort of like figuring out All right am I going to you know Actually find a good shot here or do I Need to pass it I thought he was making Decent passes both in the Knicks game And this game I saw a few just sort of Basic NBA passes that I haven't seen him Been able to make so far he's making Them so that's what you want to see out Of Nick Smith Jr you want to see these Small opportunities uh to play with the Big Squad you know if if they get Healthy you know I still think that Nick Smith Jr eventually makes his way down To Greensboro to get some meaningful Minutes there uh but this is what you Want to see you want to see Improvement Throughout the season you want to see a Different Nick Smith Jr from game one or Summer league to when you know he's Eventually playing uh meaningless Minutes if the Hornets don't find
Themselves in playoff contention you Want to see a different version of Nick Smith Jr and I think you're starting to See glimpses of it already all right Let's go back to the the two players That really kept them in this game Before we move on and go into the weeds A little more also talk about the Mark Williams thing not playing for quarter Even a potential player the Hornets Could pursue on the trade market but PJ And lamelo if we I think a couple things On each guy starting with PJ this was The first game that PJ Washington had Been thrust into a role like he played Last year because of the injuries now They're real short-handed in this game They're real Short-handed everywhere last season Right Gordon hayward's not playing Terry Doesn't play at times although he played Still a decent amount and lamelo is not Available they relied a lot on PJ then They had to rely on him a lot here you Mentioned the fourth quarter him not Having a shot but man he started what Five of five from the three-point line So he kept a minute that was a a Offensive responsibility where you can Feel okay with him in spots you do not Want this long term because even here Doug you couldn't get the victory Because he wasn't hitting at that level In the fourth I what what do you want
Right 32 points it's it's going to be Tough but didn't happen for them because They just didn't have enough Firepower To go to that's one thing on PJ the Other thing on lamelo and I'll let you Speak to this more because you wrote About it on Hornets boox score.com it You thought this was a polarizing Performance and I can see why so the Three-point shot it's fallen for lamelo Now there are things that he's doing That when we discuss oh he looks like The old lamelo and we mean it in a Positive way there are also some Negative comments to that the old lamelo Fouls a lot and lamelo here is starting To foul a lot again I mean he had five Personal fouls Doug so he had five Against Miami he had five against Washington Friday he had six he fouled Out against Dallas he had five against The Pacers too and that's only going Back to November 4th and so if you go Back to the beginning of the season the First two games okay only three only one All right he's learning then he fouls Out against Brooklyn so the fouls are Still here for lamelo not that it's Going to ffect his minutes it can't like You just don't have that respon you Don't have that ability to be like all Right well let's let's throw is out There you know we'll see what happen no Lamelo is playing with with four fouls
Even if it happens in the second quarter Um and then the turnovers in this game Weren't great with eight turnovers but Still a lot of weight on his shoulders Talk about the polarizing performance of Lamelo Doug well I think it was lamelo And PJ both had polarizing performances I thought it was an one of the more Impressive offensive nights I've seen From PJ since like early to mid last Season when he was the featured player Of the offense due to injuries he kind Of retook that mantle 52% shooting made Six threes that looked like the old PJ But he turned the ball over and couldn't Hit shots in the fourth quarter uh Lamelo yeah I mean some of these Turnovers were brutal where he's just Trying to take guys off the dribble and He spins into a double team like you Have to understand that you're playing The Miami Heat and the Miami Heat They're going to throw Zone at you They're they're going to SW they're Going to switch defenses mid possession They're going to throw the Press at you And boy I mean through like the last Three quarters it was full court press It felt like and there were times where Both PJ and uh lamelo just dribbled into Double teams in that press and didn't Pass the ball and those were possessions That Miami were used to Stave off that Final run by the horn to build a lead in
The middle of the game and then to saave Off that final run and so I I call it Polarizing because you look at it and You go man I mean they got got them into This game to begin with and then you Know PJ shooting in the third kept them In the game but then I mean honestly They were all they had and so in the Fourth quarter you know they went back To him and it looked like maybe legs Maybe frustration you know this lamelo Fouling situation I think is all rooted In the fact that he's not getting a Great whistle on the other end Clifford's upset about it he got a tech Lamelo's upset about it he's working on Some texts too but I mean in the middle Of that fourth quarter you know I was Writing and hornets box score at 950 Good God what is lamelo doing here on Defense after timeout lamelo turns it Over full court press lamelo then misses A deep contested pull-up three that goes To shot selection lamelo frustration Foul um but then after that he throws it Way up to Richardson for an alleyoop um You know and uh has another uh deep Three um so you know it's sort of an up And down kind of thing and you you look At it and you go how much are you g to Punish these guys for that when the rest Of the roster looks like it does right Now yeah and and lamelo in the third Didn't take too many shots he only took
Three and PJ took eight in each of the Last two quarters how about eight field Goals for PJ in the third quarter and Eight field goals from PJ in the fourth Now he only missed one more in the Fourth it was another three-point shot That he missed he was one of three in The fourth he was one of two in the Third but PJ and lamelo both were in Three of eight and so like when when You're not hitting at an above 50% Average and you can't go to Terry you Can't draw anything for Gordon Brandon Miller isn't going to provide any Offense Off the Bench and we know how Much they think Miles Bridges is an Answer to some of that that's four guys Doug I mean think think about how much You're missing there especially if we Include miles Bridges who is one of the Three most talented players on this Roster when he's when he's on Miles Brandon Gordon Terry that's that is what All but two pieces of their talent I Mean you're yeah it's it's a lot that They're missing so aw fight you wish They they but Steve Clifford didn't give Him any excuses though in that post and And I you know I kind of struggle too as Well because look bottom line is lamelo Had a chance to to carry the team and Get a win in that game and he was he was Trying to take Jimmy Butler off the Dribble and Butler put him in the crowd
And it was just easy and and before that Same thing fourth quarter 646 terrible Drive turnaround mid-range shot at the Free throw line by lamelo like you look At those possessions and you go why does Why is that happening why why is he Trying to take guys off the dribble like That and and end up in a free throw Mid-range shot turnaround that goes Nowhere um it's got to be better shot Selection than that and it lost the Game that was a tough one too because I Know a lot of people that hate heat that That hate the heat that that one's Frustrating um the fan base I know they Were chanting at the end maybe we can Get to that in just a moment so let's Also go go to a player that the Hornets Could pursue on the trade market in Order to help the lack of depth that We're talking about or really just help The star power on this team coming up Next on the lockdown Hornets podcast Don't go to sleep on the Hornets just Yet should the Hornets pursue Zack LaVine yes that's a first take topic Baby yep that's what we got for you Coming up next this episode is brought To you by eBay Motors our partners at EBay motors have teamed up with locked On Fantasy Basketball host Josh Lloyd to Bring you some of the best fantasy picks Each week all season long whether you're Prepping for a daily draft or scouting
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Was afraid that they were going to go After Demar D rozan although now looking At this roster and how many two-point Shots they take he would fit right in Like he wouldn't have to you wouldn't Have to figure fig out where Demar de Rozan fits within this offensive scheme The offensive scheme is DeMar d rozan Right now but no all eyes are on Zack LaVine right now sham chirania tweeting Uh yesterday that NBA teams are probing The availability of the Bulls two-time Allstar and there is increased openness From both sides about exploring a trade So look a lot of teams I think are going To be inquiring about Zack LaVine and Honestly I think the Hornets would be Crazy not to inquire about what it would Take uh because this roster as it's Currently constructed is devoid of the Level of talent necessary to make the Postseason and so if their desire is to Make the postseason you know within the Next couple of Seasons having a guy with A talent level of Zack LaVine yes he Struggled to begin this year but I think You can just point just wave your hands At the Bulls and go yeah I understand That but if you look at the past couple Of Seasons before he signed this massive Contract points per shot attempt 121.9 122.4 that's all in the 80 85th Percentile in you know among NBA Wings
The Hornets still need Wing talent I Mean I you know I think Brandon Miller Is you know you you can't have enough of These big type of wings and and I think It would be great to have both of those Players involved in the offense at this Point um great three-point shooter would Help there yeah I just don't I think it Would be crazy for the Hornets not to Get involved in this conversation well Okay yeah but like that's that's a That's an old radio vet move right there They're crazy not to get involved but Then when we talk about what to give up And then what it be like of course you Inquire because if you can get them for Something less than 100 cents on the Dollar then that might be worth it but When you're talking about what it would Actually take to give up then it gets a Little dicey in my opinion a lot of First round it's a lot of first round Picks I mean it's going to be probably Rudy goar level first round pick giving Up yeah yeah and that's that's too much For me you know I mean especially Rudy Goar level but I get inquiring about him Like the guy offensively is very very Good and just a legit shooter even if You expect the shooting percentages to Go up for some of these players once They come back Zack LaVine is g to be I Mean is he gonna be the best shooter When he's on this squad I mean he's been
That good the last few seasons so of Course you inquire about that 42% three Years ago 39 38 rough start this year But you know if the numbers are going to Go back to where they were he'll be Phenomenal once again now he's a net Negative defensively I that that's the Problem right if if you have a problem With Terry roier and lamelo ball as your Defensive backc Court LaVine does not Fix that LaVine would be very good at The catch and shoot with lamelo dribble And drive kickout and you also have some Athleticism offensively you know he's a Vet but he's not old right he's going to Be 29 I guess somewhat soon so so those Are all things to consider does Zack LaVine get you to the postseason you you Take a shot it it fits the do something Moniker where you you get rid of a Couple of first round Picks it I I think for me Doug It Ultimately what it would take to go get Him I would say no to this um but but Zack LaVine it it'd be exciting to have Him on the squad it's one of those like It's not oh my God I would love to get This guy that's not how I feel but if it Would definitely be exciting and Certainly offensively it's all about Does Steve Clifford think about and does Management who even knows if they're Going to be here right there's a good Chance that they're not but does the
Foundation of the Charlotte Hornets Whoever is making the decision do they View it worth it to take a step back Defensively pay this guy you know $40 Million annually 48 by the time his Contract is up and does that take them To the promised land I if if it wasn't Working so much for the Bulls and they Had a pretty good player at every level Different team structure here but this Is one where it's tough for me to say Okay yeah here are two three here are Three first round picks before we even Get to Rudy gobear level and we'll take Zack LaVine well look they can't take a Step back defensively they are literally Last in the league in points per Possession allowed at 121.9 dead last so There's no there's no step back their Step back would be but they would take a Step forward they wouldn't take a step Forward with this move So I mean yes getting Zack LaVine would Represent just like going Allin on the Offensive side of the floor where They've been decent I mean cleaning the Glass right now has them as the as a top 10 offense strangely enough not winning Ball games because they can't defend Anyone uh but they've got him in terms Of Point points per possession as a top 10 offense in the league so you're Really just sort of going for that Similar model that they had two years
Ago when they made the playoffs I mean Under bgo uh that team was six in points Per possession and 20th in defense so It's like you know uh does does does LaVine make you any worse defensively Probably not does he make you any better Maybe not can Clifford figure that out Who knows um you know at this point I I It's tough man because I I do take your Point about the defensive end of the Florida it makes me really upset that The Hornets as an organization have not Invested better in and using all the Tools available to them to go out and Find role players that that could be Defensive helpers and instead rely on Developing young Talent which just takes A long time and when you're on that kind Of timeline it makes doing these moves To get Zack LaVine a little bit tougher When you don't have those role players Already in place there are going to be Other teams that are going to say yeah Zack LaVine will be a step back Defensively at that position but we have Other guys around that we can kind of Pair around them yeah I mean you look at The Hornet roster you go really like What are they going to do they signed Rank neina for God's sakes in the Offseason as like defensive help you Know what I'm saying like I mean it's Just yeah yeah well and if you're saying They won't like and and I get your point
Right you you're you're right you quite Literally can't take a step back it is Impossible you can't be the 36 you can't Argue that point it's fact it's math It's numbers no that is true no your Point is correct but it could get worse That gap between 32 and 31 could get Worse because think about it we're also Needing to match salaries here and Gordon Hayward is going to be the guy That you try to match salaries and so Gordon hayward's been good defensively When he's out there when he's on the Floor he's been good so if you get rid Of him to match that salary and then Zack LaVine comes back you you pay more Money to a guy that offensively is Better I mean he's been averaging close To 25 a game the last few seasons so Yeah it would be fun at the same time I Think deep down in my soul Doug I would Know I don't think this does what I want It to I don't think so at least not for The long term so that's how I would view It but if you know if not now if you're Not if you're going to pass on or or Fail to acquire star after star I think A a fan who's deciding whether to renew Their season tickets or just buy tickets To a random game on a Wednesday has to Ask themselves you know and ask these New owners if not now when like what's The plan what are you what are you Trying to do here because what I'm
Watching on the floor night in and night Out doesn't seem to be it and I don't Even even get the vibe from the coach That this is like that he's all that Satisfied with what he's got available To him and and I don't just mean the Short-handed of the Hornets once again Bitten by the injury bug I mean my God You know the horn the Charlotte Hornets Are the Choose Your Own Adventure novel Except every choice leads to half the Team getting eaten by a squid I mean I Don't I don't know what what kind of kic Punishment is being Unleashed on the Charlotte Hornets I've got a few ideas Why if there were caric punishment I've Got a few ideas why it would be Unleashed on the charlot horn what are They We'll get into it tomorrow I'm sure um But you know it's it's difficult to Watch it's difficult to deal with as a Fan and then when these kind of things Come up and then you got guys like us Trying to get into the facts about well Zack LaVine hurts you here he helps you Here it's like I could just see a fan Going just go get Talent this team is How can you how can Beggars be this Choosy just go get the Talent I'm pretty choosy too I'm not Going to lie my ego won't die all right Coming up next on the knck on Hornets Podcast don't go to sleep on the Hornets
Just yet Doug you seem defeated in that Segment right there like that that Seemed like it hurt you it's difficult I I just want to go to Vegas I want to go I want this team to go to Vegas and they Took a step back not totally out of it You know bucks Hornets you know yeah this one has been Depressing but this next segment well Maybe it's depressing depending on how You view it Mark Williams did not play In the fourth quarter Nick Richards did Find out what the reasoning was in just A moment but not before we talk about Ibata big holidays mean big family get Togethers but you don't have to spend All that money on the Thanksgiving Spread without getting something in Return with ibata you can get your Turkey and all of your favorite sides For free that's why this episode is Brought to you by ibata starting having Already started November 1st for the Fourth year in a row ibata is giving 100% cash back on your Thanksgiving Feast just add the offers in the app to Redeem for everything you need to make Your Thanksgiving feast complete all you Have to do is shop at your favorite Retailers and upload your receipt other Apps give you the points that don't Really amount to much but with ibata you Get real cash back that you can cash out To your bank account PayPal or even gift
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Countered like the more the the deeper I Look into the game the more I look at The details the the sadder I get um but You know that's and and that's I think That explains Clifford's mood because He's super looking into the details of This and going this isn't a playoff team This isn't a playin team what am I Dealing with here but that's not the Most depressing thing from last night I've got the most impressing thing from Last night you ready for this yeah the Miami Heat hit buzzer beaters to end the Second quarter and the third quarter uh I think Butler was in the third quarter Maybe heith in the second quarter and so Even if the Hornets had been able to to Get the deficit from four to tie the Game I'm pretty confident that Butler Was going to hit a game-winning shot and The reason I'm confident is because our Friend from WCNC Nick Carboni was in the Building and he tweeted this I'd have to Check but I think I've seen The Hornet's Opponent hit a wild three-point shot to End of half at about 75% of the games I've covered at Spectrum Center LOL well listen Nick I'm not loling sir You are you are a Jinx uh you are a friend but you are a Jinx and I need you to be escorted out Of the building next time you go to Spectrum Center so that we can actually Uh get in one of these games and stay in
It so a couple of things too one Jimmy Butler I don't know if it's talked about As much but a notorious Hornets killer And he was tired last night he was hands On his knees he was huffing and puffing And he found it man and that's you know When I talk Zack LaVine is not Jimmy Butler but he but they are the same in That they are gamechanging kinds of Talents they are I can lift an entire Team on the I mean Zack LaVine dropped 50 on us one time hit so many Three-pointers the Hornets absolutely Couldn't come back oh yes you know I Mean these are the kinds of guys that Win ball games and they win tough games That's what I'm saying can I uh I it's Actually worse than I remembered okay um Yeah I feel like I'm I I know Lord of The Rings well enough but I feel like Doug you are a Gollum with the ring Except the ring is the Nugget and the More you hold on to the information Nugget the worse your mood is and you Start to go crazy lazy and you hunch Over and you lose her Hair my effective field goal Percentage it's so bad my full court Press I knew as as soon as I said Gollum That might get you in a better mood even Though it's down Side um Jimmy Butler has not shot Anything less than 71% from the field in His last four outings against the
Charlotte Hornets 71 % and he scored 20 points in Every single one of those games okay the Last time he did so was when he shot 58% And he went for 35 that was November 10th of last year so he has absolutely Destroyed us not to mention anytime I Think of the Hornets and Jimmy Butler You have to go back to the Kimo Walker 60-point game where Jimmy Butler said Nope you cannot cap this off with the Cherry on top I'm going to win this game By hitting a game-winning three but at Least you can have your moral victory Peasants with your 60o performance we're Going to get the real dub okay all of That I take all of that in I will say in Jimmy Butler's defense at least when he Comes to Charlotte to destroy them at Least he takes in some of the local Shops I saw this on the axio Charlotte Newsletter yes that's true uh he was at A coffee shop a local coffee shop and Then he he dined at Alexander Michaels One of my absolute favorite places to Eat um in Charlotte they famously Denied Guy Fieri and the Diners Drive-Ins and dive show they denied them Said no we don't want you here um so I Love that just rebelling against uh the Thing that all of those little local Haunts want to get involved in uh but They were also in my I was a fourth Wardian and they're in fourth ward and
So he took in dinner at Alexander Michaels and so I love that look if You're going to come to the city and Destroy us at least stop into some of The local hangs and contribute to the Local economy I appreciate that That's true all right let's get to the Last bullet point not f i I've been Going over Jimmy Butler stats against The Hornets I actually have about three More I could roll with that are Astonishing but we won't do it anymore I've already been hurt too much by my Jimmy Butler Stats they do make me go crazy Mark Williams Doug he did not play the entire Fourth quarter Nick Richards comes in And plays 25 minutes total now the the Minutes discrepancy actually not all That different at Mark Williams 23 Nick 25 Mark has played less than that at Times this season but I think what made It so visible was that it happened in Closing time so usually Mark Williams is A better option than Nick Richards and So you just go back to Mark in the Fourth quarter and it's not as visible Here it was and Steve Clifford addressed It after the game he said we were Basically he said we were playing better And you're I got the full quote you want The full quote said we just played a lot Better when he was out there he's Talking about Nick Richards here he said
We just played a lot better when he was Out out there our defense was better our Pick and roll coverage was a lot better And our Rim protection was better Unquote emphasis mine yeah so what do You make of that comment with Mar so Here's the thing right before I actually I want to take the floor before you do Because yesterday that's your guy Mark William is your guy so please take the Floor well well look and this is what Makes me happy and what I mean happy I Mean drives me insane what what what Drives me insane is that you tweet Something happy about a guy in a first Game against the Hawks where he Legitimately plays well but I I feel Like with your Gollum with whatever you Have in your possession you will not Allow me to have some kind of Celebratory some kind of Joy with what I Saw from Mark Williams in the first game Because here's the thing about Mark I Don't deny that the lack of physicality Is a problem in in quite a few games Like against Atlanta I thought he showed Up there were times Clint capella got His win but I thought he really showed Up against the Wizards in that 20 Rebound game I think we have different Opinions on that I think he battled Against Gafford in the first game I Think they did allow him to like do Whatever he wanted because they just
Didn't care and they were going to shoot Three-pointers with Danilo galinari Mark Williams has not been consistent This year and that's something that I Took for granted this off season like I I took for I what I thought was GNA Happen was okay this is someone that's Crazy smart he's huge athletic the guy Can't fail and I just expect him to Continue to improve and improve and Improve and improve and improve and We're not going to have any setbacks and That was not the right mindset because He's had he's had setbacks this year He's also given us some awesome Performances he also gives you the Avenue to explore something that the Hornets have never been able to explore Before which is actual legitimate Rim Protection but you're right Doug like There are there are some things that he Needs to clean up in order for Steve Clifford to feel good about him him Consistently it the 23 minutes while it Might seem like a shock because he Didn't play the fourth quarter in this One he's had times where he's I mean That's that's about what he'll play like That's not crazy off the mark of his Average per game it was just so visible Because it was closing time and Clifford Thought he was seeing a a good enough Thing with Nick Richards out There yeah I mean I think it's shocking
For Steve Clifford to say into a Microphone that the team's Rim Protection was better with Nick Richards On the and not Mark Williams the guy That we've seen uh block three-point Shots and and generally uh be be a Fource Down Low at times but his block Percentage is way down um it was 2.7% in The few games 17 games uh that he Started last year now it's down to 1.4% And I mean you saw it against last Couple of games against the Knicks and Before that as well where guys are Figuring out ways to shoot over Mark Williams you know they don't get all the Way to the paint and that can be an Asset set to a defense to not let them Get all the way to the rim but Mark Williams is coming out for some of these Blocks and not being successful and then It puts the defense in scramble mode and Look when the Hornets get put into one Single rotation Defensively it's almost an automatic Dunk I mean you saw that over and over Against Miami if they get if they make One mistake in pick and roll if uh Mark Williams drops when he's not supposed to Drop or he drops too far and and can't Recover like it's just it's just a Killer and maybe that's unfair to Mark I Don't know uh but this team cannot Rotate on defense that's not all Mark's Fault uh but it but it typically will
Start at the center position you know Those those failures typically start With that guard uh you know that first Pick and roll that happens mid high with The guard in the center and so you know That I guess Clifford just liked what he Saw out of Richards and Richards got the Minutes but it's not look it's not great Man I mean you know this was Mark Williams was supposed to be the guy that Fixed the defense and the defense is Last in the league and Mark's Struggling yeah Mark Mark what has been Struggling a couple of these games and The thing about Mark though is like I I Hope I mean you can see him get back to It and that's the thing where the guy is Still so young it's still essentially His rookie season if you're just talking About volumes of games but the offseason Doesn't really make him a rookie I'm not Trying to say that but he does not have A lot of NBA games under his belt we'll See what happens with full strength type Of roster where you have smarter Basketball players out there rather than All the young ones that you put out in This particular game Nick Richards was Playing better and sometimes he has that Capability I don't expect it for the Long term I tell you that like I don't Expect this to be a trend Steve Clifford Even told you Mark Williams is a top Five player on this roster like he flat
Out said that and I I imagine Clifford Is going to try to make it work and he Did so against Washington when you did Have the second game after he got killed Because they went five out and he did Have 20 rebounds and there was a better Battle but yeah it was bad against the Heat and what's unfortunate is that he Played well against the Heat last year It's one of his Shining Moments so you Know didn't happen to this go around That the heat got the better one on him All right that'll do it for lockdown Hornets thanks for making us your first Listen we're free and available anywhere You get your podcast and that includes YouTube make sure you go check out Doug Substack every Hornet spox score.com and Then you can listen to me on W fnz every Weekday from 12: to 300 p.m. have a Great rest of your day we'll be back With you tomorrow to gear up for another N Season Tournament game at the Spectrum Center against the Milwaukee Buck my [Music] Nuggets
Things to Do in Charlotte, North Carolina
Events, Life, Sports, Weather, News
Charlotte has a little something for everyone with a variety of popular entertainment venues that feature chart-topping entertainers and high-profile sporting events. The city is also home to several cycling and horse racing events, including the Queens Cup Steeplechase. In the spring, locals enjoy the 9th Annual South End Wine & Hops Festival that features four hours of bottomless beer and wine indulgence.
There are many fun things to do in Charlotte, but it’s important to know which neighborhoods to explore depending on what you like best. For example, the artsy district of NoDa is a great spot to find charming cafes and unique shopping, while the popular craft breweries in the area offer something different for every palate.
The city is known for its thriving culinary scene, with hip eateries featuring Southern comfort food as well as diverse global flavors. The city’s top dining spots are a great way to experience all that Charlotte has to offer, and the best time to dine is during the spring and fall when temperatures are milder with less humidity.
The city is a hub for all types of sports, with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and NFL’s Panthers calling it home. There are also minor league baseball teams, the Charlotte Knights, and hockey fans can catch a game at the Wells Fargo Center. The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a favorite spot for holiday festivities, with an event called Holidays at the Garden running from mid-November through December with more than a million lights and festive activities.