The Hornets were unable to capitalize on their strong start with a surprise starter

The Charlotte Hornets entered their Monday game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a significant problem.

Mark Williams has not yet made his season debut. He was initially expected to be out for two weeks in pre-season, but it appears his foot injury has become a major entry in his already lengthy injury history.

Fortunately, the Hornets have resisted any temptation to trade away Nick Richards, as the 26-year-old big man has continued to perform well in Williams' place. However, he is also out due to a shoulder problem.

Richards missed his second straight contest, missing the second leg of Charlotte's back-to-back contests against the Boston Celtics. The lack of depth at the center position proved too difficult for the team to overcome as the Celtics won the battle for the boards. It was only the second time this season that the Hornets were outrebounded.

Charles Lee opted for a different approach against Wolves and brought in Taj Gibson. However, it was a sensible move. If Grant Williams or Moussa Diabate had been on the field for the opening tip, the team would have been vulnerable to a takeover play from four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

For a while, the decision paid off for the Hornets. A rejuvenated Gibson catalyzed their strong start. He even beat Gobert on the first jump shot and then sank a corner three-pointer off a pass from Miles Bridges on the game's first possession.

The 39-year-old scored on a tip-in more than a minute later, extending Charlotte's lead to 7-2. He was then substituted at 7:37 with stats of five points and three rebounds.

Even with Gibson on the bench, the Hornets managed to build an 18-11 lead. But then things went downhill for her.

Minnesota ended the first quarter with a 13-6 run before outscoring the visitors 33-21 in the second quarter. The bench and defense proved to be superior. Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined for 20 points, while none of their counterparts scored more than four points.

The Hornets clearly need the LaMelo ball to block. While the Hornets star was able to avoid a foul, which has been one of his weaknesses this season, he turned the ball over five times.

Maybe Gibson can inspire the team to keep going in the second half. Otherwise, Charlotte will lose for the third straight season after a solid start to the 2024-25 regular season.