BOSTON _ If the Charlotte Hornets are ever going to be a very good team, they must start by beating a very good team.
Any very good team.
That hasn't happened yet in their first 33 games. Their "trophy" victories so far are over the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets _ likely playoff teams, but nothing close to NBA elite.
On Sunday, after a strong first half, the Hornets were abused by the Boston Celtics 119-93. This is typical _ they aren't just losing to all the best teams, they get thoroughly outclassed. I did the math pre-game: The Hornets' average point-differential against sub-.500 teams this season is roughly zero. Against teams with winning records, they're approximately minus-15 points per game.
It's no indignity to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers or Milwaukee Bucks. But the Hornets' chronic inability to even stay in such games through the fourth quarter _ to lose competitively _ is a distinct pattern. It reflects a roster with a tiny margin for error, where just one flaw on a given night is disastrous.
