Steve Clifford frustrated with Hornets: ‘We just don’t play defense now’

The Charlotte Hornets are off to a lackluster 8-7 start to the season, and head coach Steve Clifford thinks that lack of defensive effort is a big reason why.

Before the Hornets faced the New York Knicks on Saturday, Clifford, who is known as a defense-first head coach, was highly critical of his team’s effort on that end of the floor as of late, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Steve Clifford: "We just don't play defense now." Said last 4 games were the worst in his tenure with the @hornets

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) November 26, 2016

Clifford: "We pick-and-choose when we want to play defense."

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) November 26, 2016

The Hornets’ defensive regression actually doesn’t appear to be all that glaring, at least on paper. After ranking ninth in the league in defensive efficiency and giving up 100.7 points per game in 2015-16, they currently rank 10th in defensive efficiency and are allowing 103.5 points per game this year (per ESPN). The team has gotten a lift from the return of their best perimeter defender (who missed almost all of last season due to injury), but Clifford is clearly of the opinion that they still have a lot of work to do.

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