The Charlotte Hornets fell 128-81 in their home opener. The team committed 27 turnovers and shot just 34 percent from the field. After the game Hornets head coach Charless Lee met with the media to discuss the loss.
On tonight’s game: It was a good learning experience for our entire group tonight. When things aren't going your way, what is your focus gonna be? Are we going to look for excuses? Are we gonna look for people to bail us out of those tough times, or are we gonna band together and try to figure it out on our own? I actually thought that there was some quality looks that we got in there. There were some lapses of defensively in terms of offensive rebounds, potentially during that stretch, guys getting back and stuff like that. I felt like a lot of self-inflicted wounds. Then on top of that, a good learning opportunity for us to realize that there's things that we can control in those moments.
On Atlanta’s defense: Number one, is their physicality. They got a bunch of really pesky, physical, on-ball defenders, and you got to be able to physically be able to deal with it. Then also the mental aspect. I thought that versus the Nets, we were able to wear down a couple of their creators. They're gonna hit some shots. They're high volume shooters, they're good players, and you got to have that kind of mental maturity to understand that all those punches, all those grabs and holes, it actually wears them down at the end of the game, they're able to miss some shots, and I think they'll do, also, the defenders have some better experience to understand how to kind of, like, just wear you down if the game goes on, you got to be able to sustain your mental and physical toughness.
On live ball turnovers: I think some of it is us not doing what we do, or being in the spots that we're used to being in, and a lot of times when you're doing things you shouldn't be doing, positions that either the ball handler is not familiar with, or you as a screener. I think it creates some indecision. Then there was a couple that are just a little too casual. So I think a lot of those two areas that I just talked about are a little bit just like us needing to look inward and figure out how we can do better.
On shot selection: Our biggest thing is less about the volume of what our shot profile looks like and more so, we want to create the best uncontested shot that we can get. So if it ends up being a catch and shoot 3 for Brandon Miller or Naz Reed or Dennis Schroder, and it's a wide open shot, you gotta let it fly with confidence. If it's a layup under the basket, you got to take that. So a lot of it is just what is the shot quality that we're trying to create and we're looking for the best uncontested shot. Sometimes it ends up being in three.
On having 25 turnovers: We can't make excuses for who was on the floor, who was off the floor. I think that is just on us as a group to take a little bit more pride in every possession, value the ball. Again, just do what we do, be in the positions that we need to be in. Some of this is we're still trying to learn each other and figure out offensive systems and where to be. I think that our group is going to continue to get better as all they've shown that they've done.
On Brandon Miller’s shooting through the first two games: I think that Brandon is focused a ton on just playing the right way. I think that he's taking some quality looks. Early in the year you're just trying to find your legs, your rhythm and stuff like that. I have the utmost confidence that so many shots he's taken he's going to continue to knock down at a higher rate as we just keep going throughout the year.
On the crowd booing the team: I told the group this is great for us at home, on the road. If you hear boos, you got to be able to play better basketball. That's not something that we can control. They are fans. They are entitled. If we're not playing a good basketball, I think they know that they understand the game, so we totally respect it.
The Hornets are back in action Saturday night at The Hive versus Miami.
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