Charlotte Hornets (Photo : Getty Images)
Jeremy Lin and the Charlotte Hornets could miss out on a playoff berth if their turnovers continue to plague them in the remaining games of the season.
Turnovers have been a problem of Lin and the Hornets for most of the season, and it could trouble their chances of getting into the playoffs as they cling at the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 29-27 record.
The Hornets' tallied a game-high 14 turnovers in their 114-103 defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, which led to 22 Cavs points.
"Our turnovers were misleading - we had 14, but they led to 22 (Cleveland) points," Clifford said, reports the Charlotte Observer. "Just careless. I just thought we had some really needless turnovers where we were floating passes. You can't do stuff like that."
Interestingly, the Hornets are second in the league behind the Dallas Mavericks in teams with least turnovers per game, according to ESPN. But Charlotte's turnover average climbed up from 12.3 to 15.3 after the All-Star weekend.
The more unusual thing for the Hornets is that ball-handlers like Lin and Kemba Walker are leading the team in turnovers, with the former committing 1.9 and the latter 2.3 per game.
"Bad ones that led directly to fast-break points," as Clifford described, will not help them win games. "We're not going to be able to play that game."
If Charlotte wants a place at the postseason, they must learn how to take care of the ball, especially against top NBA rivals. The Hornets are just a game ahead of the surging Detroit Pistons and three games over the Washington Wizards, so one mistake could boot them out of the top eight.
Every win is important at this stage of the season, which means lesser turnovers could almost guarantee the Hornets' chance for a playoff push. While 14 turnovers could beat struggling teams in the league, it certainly would not be a number they wish to have to topple teams like the Cavs, especially in the postseason.
