Hornets coach Charles Lee laments defensive performance in loss to Wizards

Charles Lee didn't like the Hornets interior defense last night.

Dec 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee reacts during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets lost to the Washington Wizards last night. The Wizards came into the game with just three wins on the season, but they outplayed the Hornets in virtually every category en route to a 123-114 win. Head coach Charles Lee believes the interior defense was particularly bad at times and didn't help their cause.

Hornets coach Charles Lee rips interior defense after loss

🎙️ Charles Lee: "We were supposed to do a better job of protecting the paint in that first half and they end up with 32 points in the paint of their like 60."

"I want our defensive intensity and purpose to be a lot better." pic.twitter.com/0ODI2X9Yij

— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) December 20, 2024

The Washington Wizards seemed to get whatever they wanted against the Charlotte Hornets, especially in the paint. "We were supposed to do a better job of protecting the paint in that first half and they end up with 32 points in the paint of their like 60," Charles Lee said. "I want our defensive intensity and purpose to be a lot better."

The defensive interior improved in the second half, and the Hornets outscored the Wizards in the paint. Still, the overall defensive performance, allowing 123 points to the team with the worst offensive rating in the NBA is not encouraging.

Thanks to the lackluster defensive effort, the Hornets couldn't overcome a poor shooting night by LaMelo ball (11/32 and 2/18 from three) and the team as a whole. They shot 8/43 from three and 40.6% from the field overall.

The loss dropped Charlotte to 7-20 and 2-10 on the road. The Hornets are still missing Brandon Miller and Tre Mann, but this is a loss that may indicate that the team is better served angling for a lottery pick than pushing to make the play-in game.

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