The Hornets' alarming 53-point loss to Trail Blazers raises a major red flag

The Hornets got embarrassed in every sense of the word.

Feb 22, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) loses control of the basketball during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

If you went to sleep early on Saturday night, you missed perhaps the worst Charlotte Hornets game in a very long time. They were on the road, hence the late night, facing the Portland Trail Blazers. Neither of these teams is particularly good, as they have a combined 38 wins right now. Portland is better, but they looked like a dynasty when they took on the Hornets.

A 53-point loss is pretty rare. This season, the worst loss is by 62 points. Ironically, the Trail Blazers lost that game, but you'd never know it based on how they dismantled the Hornets on Saturday night. It was an abysmal showing.

In bad losses this year, the Hornets have often had at least a tiny excuse. They've struggled to remain healthy and it has led to some ugly turnouts. That wasn't the case on Saturday. Four of the five starters were healthy. Only Brandon Miller, who hasn't played since before the break, was out.

A team with LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams all healthy shouldn't lose by 53 points to another lottery team. The fact that they did is so alarming. At least when Portland got throttled by 62, it was to the best team in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Feb 22, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dives for a lose ball during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

It speaks to the need for a roster overhaul. Ball had a very bad night, shooting 1-10 from the floor. Perhaps the good news is that the Hornets organization learned what happens when Ball doesn't show up, thereby increasing the need to keep him around.

The bad news is that this is not an easy fix. The Hornets will get Brandon Miller back next year, but it's really starting to look like the core of Mark Williams, Ball, Miller, and Miles Bridges just isn't good enough.

Williams was already traded before it got rescinded, so he's probably gone. Bridges should also be on the trade block this offseason because he's much older and probably worse than the other three. Miller will only be in his third year, so he's safe, but Ball might be on the way out.

The bench is bad, too, but that doesn't really matter as much when the starters are also bad. Maybe this season leads to a franchise-changing player like Cooper Flagg, but if not, the Hornets are going to have their hands full trying to build a contender out of a core that just got bamboozled by a team not going anywhere.

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