The Charlotte Hornets took a 20-point loss on the chin Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors, but the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. While the defeat was lopsided, it was the Hornets’ defensive approach - and the reaction it drew - that turned heads.
Head coach Charles Lee rolled out a scheme that clearly got under the skin of two of the league’s most vocal veterans: Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Green, never one to bite his tongue, called the Hornets’ defense “gimmicky” and even went so far as to suggest that Lee could lose his job over it. That’s a strong reaction - and in many ways, that’s the point.
The Hornets knew they were up against one of the game’s most dangerous offensive weapons in Curry. So Lee made a calculated decision: throw something different at him.
The strategy didn’t lead to a win - the scoreboard made that clear - but it did force the Warriors to work for it. And more importantly, it rattled them.
When two future Hall of Famers are this vocal about your game plan, it usually means you touched a nerve.
Lee, for his part, didn’t flinch when asked about Green’s comments. “It doesn’t bother me, everyone’s entitled to their opinions,” he said Tuesday.
“There are different strategies, there are different ways to play the game. We thought that going into that game, it was a good strategy.”
That calm, measured response says a lot about Lee’s approach. He’s not married to one system. He’s willing to tweak his schemes based on matchups, even if that means taking a few risks - especially when the alternative is letting Curry run wild.
Let’s be real: the Hornets aren’t exactly stacked with elite defenders right now. So when you’re facing a team like the Warriors, conventional defense might not cut it. Lee’s decision to throw a curveball - even if it didn’t land - shows a coach willing to adapt, willing to take bold swings in the name of competing.
And while the result wasn’t what Charlotte wanted, the process matters. The Hornets are trying to build something, and part of that is instilling a mindset that they’re not going to roll over, even against the league’s heavyweights. If that means trying something unconventional to slow down a generational talent like Curry, so be it.
Lee’s approach may not have earned him a win on Saturday, but it did earn him something else: the attention of the league. And in a season where the Hornets are still figuring out their identity, that’s not a bad place to start.