Charles Lee has watched Naz Reid turn a rough early moment into something more useful for the Charlotte Hornets.
Not long into Reid’s time with the team, Lee had an issue with him that ended with the forward sitting out a winnable game. Since then, Reid’s play has picked up, and the Hornets coach seems to be getting exactly what he wanted out of the message.
With Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel unavailable, Charlotte has needed someone to grab the wheel. Reid and Grayson Allen have done that in recent games, and both showed it again Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reid finished with 25 points, while Allen added 27, and the pair powered a lopsided win in a game the Hornets controlled for most of the night. Over the last six games since the benching, Reid has averaged 17.6 points per game, a stretch that has put him squarely in the mix as one of Charlotte’s primary options.
Lee made it clear after the game that Reid’s impact went beyond the scoring. He pointed to the forward’s work on defense and the way he’s grown into a more complete player.
"I’m glad that some shots went down, but I love the defensive intensity probably even more. It’s really cool to see (Naz Reid) becoming an elite two-way player and giving it to us on both ends of the floor," Lee said after the game about Reid’s phenomenal performance.
Reid, for his part, said the situation with Lee is part of the game and part of competing at a high level.
"It’s basketball. Any sport, when you’re super competitive, that type of stuff happens. I think being able to be the person I am, it’s kind of take accountability and just be able to direct traffic for the team," Reid said after the game about his dynamic with Lee.
As long as Miller and Knueppel remain out, Reid’s role is going to stay large. And after the way he responded to Lee’s challenge, the Hornets have reason to like where this is headed.
In Other News...
Hornets Losing Streak Is Putting Charlottes Biggest Weakness On Display
The Hornets six-game skid has done more than pile up losses, it has put their thinnest area in plain view. With multiple rotation pieces sidelined, Charlotte has had a harder time generating offense and even harder time surviving the night-to-night grind that comes with injuries, especially when the lineup keeps changing around them.
Kon Knueppel and Dennis Schrder are both dealing with hamstring injuries, while Brandon Miller is out with a groin issue, leaving the Hornets short on scoring and depth at the same time. For a team already searching for stability, the next stretch will be about managing those absences and hoping the roster can hold together long enough to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Need These 3 Players To Keep The Season Afloat
Kon Knueppels latest setback leaves Charlotte trying to piece together its wing rotation again, and the timing could hardly be worse. The rookie had only just worked his way back after missing the first eight games, then lasted just six minutes against Brooklyn before the left hamstring strain forced him back out of the lineup.
With Knueppel out, the Hornets will have to lean harder on Grayson Allen, Sion James and Coby White to absorb the minutes and keep the offense moving. It puts more pressure on that group to stabilize a season that has already been tested by injuries, and it leaves Charlotte waiting to see how long it can hold things together without another key piece on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Got The Brandon Miller News They Needed
The Hornets have been trying to steady themselves after a rough start, and the win over Cleveland offered a little lift as they moved to 4-7. More importantly for Charlotte, the early outlook on Brandon Miller appears far less worrisome than it could have been. Miller had been sidelined, but the team is now seeing signs of progress, which matters for a group still looking to find its footing in the opening stretch of the season.
Charles Lees update gives the Hornets a reason to breathe a little easier, especially with the schedule already asking plenty of a short-handed roster. The bigger concern remains Kon Knueppel, whose injury still points to a potentially longer wait, but Millers situation at least suggests Charlotte may not be bracing for a drawn-out absence from one of its key young pieces. [Read more 🡒]