The Charlotte Hornets have not had the best season. They are currently 14-44, which has them as the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference. They are only four games ahead of the Wizards in the last spot in the East, and they seem firmly planted in that second-to-last seat.
While the Hornets have not won many games this season, one thing that should be noted is how they’ve been losing some of these games. While their recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks was only seven points, that was a massive improvement over their previous three losses.
What should be noted during those previous three losses is that the Hornets made NBA history. The -131 point differential in those three losses surpassed the previous record set by the 2021-2022 Portland Trail Blazers, who were outscored by 114.
With such an embarrassing set of losses, the criticism has poured in. One former NBA player, in particular, focused on LaMelo Ball’s leadership, effort, or lack thereof.
Lou Williams Bashes LaMelo Ball As Charlotte Hornets Make NBA History
Following the Hornets making NBA history by having the worst point differential over three losses, former NBA star Lou Williams took aim at LaMelo Ball for his unfocused play after the All-Star break.
While on his “Run It Back” program on FDTV, Lou was direct in his critique of both the Hornets and Ball but made brief note of Ball specifically, considering many felt he should have been an All-Star:
Lou Williams goes OFF on LaMelo Ball for being the leader of a team that lost by 50 points
“This is led by the same person that we were rooting for 2 to 3 weeks ago to be an All-Star…where’s the pride?”😳
(🎥 @RunItBackFDTV )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2025
“Look, we’re not giving them excuses. This is led by the same person that we were rooting for 2 to 3 weeks ago to be an All-Star. So, if you lose a game by 53, then you follow that up with a 42, and then you follow that one up with a 36, like, where’s the pride?”
“Everybody got to share responsibility in how bad this is, you know what I mean? If you lose a game by 50 points, that next game, everybody has had a bad night in the league. Every single person. You lose a game by 50 points. You’d be damned if you lose by 50 the very next time.”
The Hornets’ Historic Three Losses
While Ball is not solely to blame for the Hornets’ woes, his contributions to his team during this three-game stretch were very minimal.
In the 53-point loss to the Trail Blazers, Ball finished with just five points, four rebounds, and two assists in 22 minutes of action. In the 42-point loss against the Sacramento Kings, Ball would finish with 13 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in 29 minutes.
While he wasn’t on the court for the 36-point loss to the Golden State Warriors, it was evident that his play in those two games did little to inspire his team. Prior to this stretch, Ball was having a good season, so much so that the All-Star talk left fans feeling as if he was snubbed when the selections were finalized.
Ball is averaging 26.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on the season, but it hasn’t led to winning success for the Hornets. Can Ball eventually right these wrongs? It’s far too late for that this season, but at least they could go out there and try to compete when he is on the court.
