Hornets’ Charles Lee reveals why Naz Reid didn’t play in the second half vs. Pistons

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Naz Reid entered the Charlotte Hornets’ Wednesday night clash against the Detroit Pistons as the team’s second-leading scorer, being every bit as good as advertised after coming over in the LaMelo Ball trade this past offseason. However, Reid found himself in head coach Charles Lee’s doghouse for the entire second half of what would be a 97-89 loss to the Pistons, raising a few eyebrows in the process.

Reid played 12 minutes and 42 seconds in the first half and didn’t see the floor for a single second following the halftime break. Lee clarified that the Hornets big man’s absence during the second half wasn’t injury-related, saying that Reid simply did not play up to the team’s standards and got himself benched for it.

“Unfortunately, Naz didn’t meet our standards in the first half, and at halftime, we made the decision that he wouldn’t play in the second half. But I look forward to him meeting those standards come next game,” Lee said after the game on DAZN, via Hornets Reddit on X.

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It’s not quite clear what Reid did or did not do that landed him in the Hornets head coach’s doghouse. After putting up seven points and six boards in the first half, one would think that Charlotte could have used him out there on the court to get more of an offensive punch against an elite defensive team such as the Pistons.

But perhaps Reid missed a few defensive assignments or didn’t play within the team’s system, generally-speaking. Nonetheless, this Hornets team was already missing Coby White and Kon Knueppel, and benching Reid meant that Brandon Miller had to carry the offensive load on his own.

For Lee, however, it’s important to establish his authority and make sure that players meet the standards the Hornets are setting behind the scenes. No one is above the team, and that is the message Lee wants his players to know moving forward.

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