Why Charles Lee's benching of LaMelo Ball makes sense
Yesterday at 07:01 PM
The Charlotte Hornets fell to the Brooklyn Nets 116-115, and a lot of question marks are centered around head coach Charles Lee after benching LaMelo Ball to close out the fourth quarter. Ball only played three minutes and went 0-3 from the field in the final frame, and Tre Mann finished the game in his place. Charles Lee explained himself after the loss.
“Having Tre (Mann) I think, gives us another ball handler. LaMelo’s been phenomenal for us, and he’s done so many good things for us. He’s creating offensively and guarding. I just thought that Tre had a little more of a better hand tonight and was helping us a little more on both ends of the floor. That’s not to say that we weren’t getting anything from Melo earlier in the game. I thought he did a really good job of kind of setting the table and doing some good things too. I think every night it could be somebody different.”
LaMelo Ball had the toughest game so far this year
Ball posted season lows in minutes (24), points (12), and shooting percentage from the field at 23%. It was a rough game for someone who has been scoring at will and manipulating defenses to practically do whatever he wants them to do. Whether that be as a scorer or creating shots for others, Ball has proved that when healthy, he can compete with some of the best players in the game.
Unfortunately, every player in the history of the league has registered a performance that hasn’t been up to their standards. Ball happened to have his, and it won’t be his last, but that’s okay. The NBA offers a unique opportunity for players to erase a bad game almost immediately since Charlotte plays the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
Tre Mann earned the chance to play in clutch time
Tre Mann did step up to keep the game close and played well enough to come in for Ball in clutch time. He finished with 19 points and spurred a nice run that kept the game close as time winded down. After missing a couple of games due to injury, his play off the bench was missed. Leading that second unit is important and Mann has carved out a nice role for himself so far this season.
Charles Lee did mention that he intends to ride the hot hands on the floor, too, whether they are starters or bench players.
“They all have to accept the fact that if another guy has it going, we probably need to ride that hand.”
What this should mean for LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann
Both Ball and Mann have been two of the better players for the Hornets at this point in the season. Charlotte is getting well over 40 points per game between the two. Their production is going to be necessary to get wins as the season wanes. For Ball, finding ways to impact the game outside of scoring is going to be huge for him to avoid situations like this again.
No one can question his talent or impact on the game. But shot selection and bad defensive plays will continue to land him a seat on the bench if he continues. In a perfect world, ending a game with a closing lineup with Ball and Mann would be ideal for the scoring potential of it. Hopefully, Ball has a bounce-back game for his sake against Detroit on Thursday.
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