Effort is non-negotiable in these Charlotte Hornets. That, at least, seems to be the premise Charles Lee wanted to emphasize tonight, as his squad fell to the Pistons 97-89 in a clash where the coach did not hesitate to call out one of his players. Even if he is one of the players expected to be among the team’s top figures.
Naz Reid has started the regular season with the best numbers of his career, but his first-half performance in Detroit wasn’t pleasing to his coach. With several possessions where he fell into selfish play without generating anything and other moments showing little engagement, he went largely unnoticed on the floor during the first two quarters. But what nobody expected was that he wouldn’t be seen in the following half either. Because, upset with his performance, Lee chose to leave him on the bench.
The Hornets opened the third quarter with Royce O’Neal on the floor instead of the former Timberwolves player, and although one could expect Reid to return at some point, that never happened. And before any speculation about possible physical issues could arise, his coach made clear what had caused his absence.
«Unfortunately, he did not meet our standards in the first half, so at halftime we decided that he would not play in the second,» the coach stated bluntly. «But I’m looking forward to him reaching that level in the next game.»
Naz did not even reach 13 minutes of playing time, finishing with 7 points, 2-for-6 shooting and 6 rebounds. His spells on the floor ended with a -4 for his side, which, however, could not improve the situation when the power forward remained on the bench.
And the plan for Lee did not fully take shape. After building double-digit advantages in the first half, the Hornets slipped away in the second, managing only 38 points and failing to contain a Pistons squad that grew as the game progressed. Which makes it almost inevitable to wonder how differently things might have looked with Reid on the floor.
