The Charlotte Hornets just took one of the worst beatings in franchise history, and it wasn’t even their first 50-point loss in the last two seasons. How does a team that can compete with Denver and beat the Lakers turn around and get completely dismantled by the Trail Blazers? Walker and Doug break down the Hornets' biggest problem—lack of identity—and why that’s a direct reflection of both roster construction and coaching.

LaMelo Ball had one of his worst games, shut down by Portland’s aggressive defense. Is this just a bad night, or is this a preview of what playoff teams will do to him in the future? Doug argues that the Hornets’ lack of physicality and inability to control tempo makes them susceptible to whatever style the opponent wants to play. Meanwhile, Mark Williams continues to struggle after returning from injury—should the Hornets stick with him or turn to Nurkic for more stability?

Plus, we dig into the fan mailbag to discuss offseason targets, whether Charlotte should pursue a true center, and what Spectrum Center food prices look like after the renovations. All that and more on this edition of Locked On Hornets!

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Get Doug's gamenotes, special articles and a podcast on Hornets history at the Every Hornets Boxscore substack: everyhornetsboxscore.com

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Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise

Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history

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