The Charlotte Hornets drafted a superstar when they selected LaMelo Ball third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, the team hasn’t posed a threat since Ball’s arrival in the league, boasting no postseason appearances and just one season over .500 in that span. The Hornets are once again sitting in the Eastern Conference’s cellar and have lost three-straight by historic margins.
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Charlotte recently dropped contests against Portland, Sacramento, and Golden State by 53, 42, and 36 points, respectively. The Hornets’ negative 131-point differential in these three games represents one of the most embarrassing stretches in NBA history.
To make matters worse, the team’s star player has been nowhere to be found in these losses. Ball mustered just five points on 1-10 shooting in a game that was decided early against the Trail Blazers.
He followed that dud with an uninspiring 13 point, 3-13 shooting performance in another contest where he didn’t crack 30 minutes. The Hornets’ closest loss of this disastrous streak ironically came with Ball sidelined due to injury.
Lou Williams doesn’t approve of the 23-year-old’s lack of leadership, especially when his team is struggling. Following Charlotte’s third-straight blowout defeat, the former Sixth Man of the Year drilled into Ball’s inconsistencies.
“This is led by the same person that we were rooting for 2 to 3 weeks ago to be an All-Star…where’s the pride?” Williams said, demanding accountability from the young star.
Williams couldn’t believe how the Hornets followed up a 53-point defeat with another egregious loss. He believes everyone needs to share responsibility in a loss like that, and no one should be feeling happy afterward.
The 38-year-old stressed that most teams would refuse to lose another game by such a massive margin, but Charlotte hasn’t responded to the challenge.
Lou Williams goes OFF on LaMelo Ball for being the leader of a team that lost by 50 points
“This is led by the same person that we were rooting for 2 to 3 weeks ago to be an All-Star…where’s the pride?”
( @RunItBackFDTV )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2025
The Charlotte Hornets are headed for another top lottery pick
At 14-43, the Charlotte Hornets’ playoff hopes have been cooked since November. For the third year in a row, the team will fail to accumulate 30 wins in what has been an extremely disappointing stretch after Charlotte was viewed as an up-and-coming franchise.
The Hornets will have a great shot at capturing the first overall pick and the opportunity to draft Duke standout, Cooper Flagg. But it might not be enough to salvage the players they already have, as Charlotte’s core has grown increasingly irritated by the team’s inability to improve.
LaVar Ball has already publicly called for the Hornets to move on from Ball. He’ll be under contract through the 2028-29 season after inking a rookie max extension, but if things continue to head south, the All-Star point guard could be looking for a new home soon.
