3 observations from Hornets' starting five's first game together

Charlotte's ideal starting five played their first game action on Monday night.

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For the first time this season we saw the Charlotte Hornets starting five as it was assembled to be. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams were together on the floor for the opening tip in Monday night's loss to the 76ers, and although it was shaky at time, it was a beautiful sight.

Statistically speaking, that five man lineup was a disaster in limited minutes. According to Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte's idealistic starting group sported a -29.2 net rating in 24 possessions of action. A small sample size, no doubt, but if extrapolated over a bigger sample that would be among the worst lineups in basketball.

Chemistry issues abound

The five definitely looked like they hadn't played much competitive basketball together. The offense devolved into too much "your turn, my turn" between perimeter options Ball, Miller, and Bridges, and Williams and Green's play finishing deficencies in one-on-one situations were on full display.

However, it's far too early to panic. Following the loss, Miles Bridges spoke to the difficulties of playing together for the first time: "It was good to see everybody out there. We're trying feel each other out, know each other's games again. We just have to keep progressing."

Williams thrived as the defensive anchor, offensive rebounder

Mark Williams weak side presence was fearsome on Monday evening. The 23-year-old big man struggles to defend opposing bigs in the post, but he's a beast in the painted area when he's able to roam and block shots from unsuspecting drivers and cutters.

As a rebounder, Williams did his best Moussa Diabate impression. Williams can't match Diabatè's energy or positioning (frankly few NBA players can), but every game he plays, Williams becomes more comfortable skying for rebounds among the trees on both ends. The combination of him and Nick Richards has become a legitimate advantage for Charlotte at the center position, something the team has lacked in recent years.

LaMelo Ball the playmaker

Ball finished the night with 11 assists, one off his season high. Monday night marked the return of the LaMelo Ball, the high-level vision bearing, creative pass first guard, that has disappeared in recent weeks as he carries a heavy scoring load.

Ball spent the evening dicing up the Sixers defense off the bounce before hitting open shooters and cutters with inch perfect passes all over the floor. In Charlotte's preferred lineup, Ball can cede some scoring duties to both Miller and Bridges while setting up Williams and Green for easy looks.

In theory, this starting five fits together like a glove. However, Brandon Miller's new ankle injury, it's near impossible to project when we will see them play together again. When they do, though, there are legitimate building blocks to cling to. Charlotte's starting five can hoop.

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