Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee’s decision to remove LaMelo Ball from the starting lineup during back-to-back sets has drawn some flak from fans. And based on how the Hornets have performed in the opening minutes with Ball on the bench, the criticisms carry great weight.
As Doug Branson of Yahoo Sports noted in the three games where Ball played as a reserve this season, the team has been outscored a total of 53-25 in those Ball-less minutes. That means he has entered those contests with Charlotte trailing by an average of 8.7 points.
Hornets’ offense is stagnant without Ball
The first time it happened was the Hornets’ frustrating loss against one of the league’s worst squads, the Indiana Pacers.