So much for that historical starting lineup.
Barely 48 hours removed from tossing three rookies onto the court for the opening tipoff, representing the only occasion that’s happened in Charlotte Hornets history, Charles Lee switched things up yet again Saturday night, inserting Collin Sexton into the backcourt and teaming him with LaMelo Ball for the fourth time.
“Sometimes it’s a defensive thing, but other times offensively it’s nice when you have two good ball handlers out there, two good primary ball handlers where they can pass ahead, pass across,” the Hornets coach said. “Gives our second unit a little more balance, get one of them out early and then come back with them to be able to play with Tre (Mann) again.
“So, there’s a little bit of a thought process or a mad scientist approach to it. But I think it helps our team with a little bit of the balance of the first unit kind of second unit stuff.”
The shakeup didn’t yield any different result.
The Hornets succumbed to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-105, upping their losing streak to three games on the heels of a trio of spirited outings to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Deciphering what went wrong for the Hornets (2-4) in this one is rather easy.
“Physicality,” Miles Bridges said. “And they just wanted it more. We don’t got no room for error. So, if we start playing lackadaisical, not physical, the teams are going to come out and beat us. So, as simple as that.”
Mann essentially echoed Bridges’ thoughts. He also used the p-word.
“It started with our physicality,” Mann said. “We came out soft, turnovers, wasn’t getting back on defense, let them get energy plays. And once they had that momentum, it was kind of hard to get back in.
“So, it’s just a slow start for us in the third that we talked about. We got to put a full game together and that’s what we’re going to try to do (Sunday against Utah) and the rest of the season.”
No matter which starting quintet Lee elects to go with.
“Whoever starts on the floor just got to come out and compete,” Bridges said. “Colin’s going to bring it out every time he plays, and I know Sion, he’s going to bring it every time he plays. And I don’t think those guys are really worried about the starting lineup.
“It’s about who’s playing the right way, who’s ready to compete. That’s all we need to worry about. Lineup’s going to take care of itself. It’s really about the fourth quarter for real. Who’s out there in the fourth?”
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ third straight defeat:
What’s going on with the D
Defense has seemingly been optional for the Hornets this season.
Through their first four games, they yielded an average of 124.4 points, with their last two outings — surrendering 144 points to Miami and 123 to a shorthanded Orlando Magic team that entered the game with only one win — less than stellar.
They prepared for Minnesota by addressing ball pressure, screening effectiveness, and quick decision making against the Timberwolves’ multiple athletic defenders. They didn’t pass the test at all, though, failing with flying colors.
“It’s a want-to,” Mann said. “We’re not asking ourselves to do something that we can’t do. It’s a mindset. At the end of the day, we’ve just got to do it. We got to lock in on the things that’s important. I feel like once we got going and shots were falling, and we started feeling good.
“Then we took a step back with our physicality, our defense, and we can’t have that.”
Bridges pointed out one of the biggest issues that keeps cropping up.
“We’re not talking enough,” he said. “We’re not talking enough and teams is being physical with us and not being physical back. And that’s just the end point. We got to be more physical.”
Lee has a checklist and noted where the Hornets must improve exponentially.
Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets battles Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves for a rebound during the first half of the NBA game at Spectrum Center on Nov. 1, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Grant Halverson Getty Images
“The things defensively that I just want to see us continue to get better at and just continue to give consistent, competitive attention to detail and the physicality on the ball,” Lee said. ”I think that no matter what you’re doing, offense or defense, you have to do it as a collective group. So, that’s where the shift activity comes in. That’s where some of the rim collisions and verticalities and who’s going to take a charge and help us protect the paint.
“And then I think just continue to contest at a high rate, contest without fouling, finishing possessions. I think defensive rebounding actually has been decent for us so far this year. So, that’s a good sign of a team trying to finish. But just some of the fouling areas and the shift activity can be a lot better on top of ball pressure.”
Offensively, the Hornets haven’t been all that bad. They are the first team in NBA history to begin the season with three consecutive games of 120 or more points, 15 or more made 3-pointers and 30 or more assists in each of those contests.
Lee just wants them to be a tad more balanced.
“I’m just a coach — I love defense, but I love offense, too,” Lee said. “And I know that it’s important that we are good on both sides of the ball. I think every successful team that I’ve been a part of, yes, you want to lay your hat on something or really have this as our calling card. But you got to be good on both sides.
“I think if we go back and study some of the teams that have the most success, they’re probably in the top 10 in offense and defense. Very rarely are you going to see some team that’s No. 1 in offense and 30th in defense be sitting there and as the last team standing.”
Maintaining with LaMelo
Ball’s name popped up on the injury report Friday night, causing more than a slight stir among the team’s weary fan base because of the star guard’s injury history.
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets moves the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of the NBA game at Spectrum Center on Nov. 1, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Grant Halverson Getty Images
By mid-afternoon Saturday, though, any angst among the beleaguered had worn down.
Upgraded to probable three hours before game time and cleared early enough for him to warm up in his usual pregame slot with exactly an hour before the opening tip, Ball didn’t show any ill effects of the right ankle impingement that led to the 24-year-old appearing on the injury report, posting 18 points — though he didn’t shoot well, knocking down just 7 of 10 attempts — to go with eight assists and seven rebounds.
Just another week in the world of Ball, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture in the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to Miami. Although Charlotte features more depth this season at the position, Ball remaining off the games missed list as much as possible is paramount to the Hornets.
He’s one of two players this season — Indiana’s Pascal Siakam is the other — who lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals.
“I would say health for our whole team is important,” Lee said. “Pat Chasse and his group do a really good job of tracking the work that our guys are doing, and the intensity of the work and just trying to put together extensive plans to make sure all of them are available and healthy and ready to go for 82 games or as many games as possible.
“And so Melo got evaluated this morning (and) trending in a more positive direction right now. And the goal for him and for every player on this roster is to make sure we’re putting them in their best position to be available for as many games as possible.”
Going the extra Miles
Bridges switched things up somewhat for the first time in a half-dozen outings.
Through the Hornets’ initial five games of the season, he recorded six dunks, which aided in propelling him to shooting 81.8% on shots within three feet from the basket. But Bridges dialed it up from deep against the Timberwolves.
In connecting on his initial 10 of 16 shots, and going 6 for 11 from 3-point range to amass a team-best 30 points, he looked nothing like the guy who nailed just 39.5% of his attempts overall and 37.1% from 3-point range prior to their meeting with the Timberwolves.
“Not thinking, just playing,” Bridges said. “Just being aggressive from the jump.”