Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. goes to the basket as Charlotte’s Miles Bridges defends during the second half of Monday’s game at Barclays Center. Sarah Stier Getty Images
In flipping the proverbial switch and turning things around from the losing ways that dominated most of November, the recipe for success seemed simple for the Charlotte Hornets.
There had been a common denominator, a noticeably prevalent change.
“Yeah, I would say one of the main things is, and it’s the same thing the guys have been talking about,” coach Charles Lee said, “it’s what we’ve been preaching since Day One of the season, and the offseason, is I think our overall just competitiveness. Our activity has been sustained from the beginning of the game to the end of the game.
“And I think these guys have leaned on each other even more in some of these adverse situations. So, I’ve loved what I’ve seen on both ends of the court. To me, it’s just about the activity, the effort, the competitiveness of the group and they’ve really kind of banded together.”
Well, so much for prosperity — and good health.
Minus two key contributors in Brandon Miller and Tre Mann, the Hornets went belly up in Monday night’s 116-102 loss to Brooklyn at Barclays Center, reverting to the reason they’d been struggling during their recent seven-game losing skid.
Miller and Mann each sat out, a result of the Hornets’ health and performance staff electing to give them a break after three games in four nights, which swelled to four in six with their latest outing against the Nets.
Listed as questionable on Sunday night’s injury report, Mann is dealing with a left ankle impingement that’s apparently been nagging him a bit lately. Miller, who suited up in the Hornets’ previous four games and hadn’t missed any action since returning from a month-long hiatus nursing a left shoulder subluxation, went through the team’s morning shootaround in Manhattan — as did Mann.
However, once the Hornets arrived at the multi-billion dollar edifice at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic avenues to square off against the Nets for the second time this season, the decision was made to have Miller and Mann take a seat. And it sounds like Mann’s situation bears monitoring.
“Yeah, I think he’s making some good progress,” Lee said. “His ankle impingement has been giving him some issues. So, he went through shootaround a little bit and like most of our guys, they want to go and I think that we deemed it important for him to kind of just take a couple days and try to get himself back together.
“And then unfortunately we got to the arena, and as Brandon got evaluated, trying to manage that three in four, he had a little bit of shoulder soreness and he really wants to go. But I think that from our evaluations, we’re (holding) him out as well.”
The Hornets took the decision out of the hands of Miller and Mann, understanding they preferred to be on the court against the Nets to help keep the good times going from two straight wins. Preventative maintenance is something the Hornets apparently want to stay on top of, which anyone who’s remotely followed Charlotte’s injury woes over the past few seasons knows is probably more of a necessity.
“You want competitors, you want guys that want to play through some little nicks and bruises and stuff,” Lee said. “But there are certain points where we have to keep the bigger picture in mind. We have to save them from themselves. And I think that our performance staff does a great job of having an idea of how we can maximize their availability throughout the whole season.
“So, I love their approach and I support their approach. And it’s usually in partnership with the players after you have to talk them off of not being able to play.”
The Hornets next game is Wednesday in New York, against the Knicks.