Stephen Curry and the rest of the Golden State Warriors cruised to an easy victory at Chase Center on Saturday by ripping apart the Charlotte Hornets defense. They then proceeded to rip Charles Lee’s strategy post-game.
Lee decided to have rookie Sion James shadowed starting from near the halfcourt but then it backfired since Warriors have other capable players. They hit 23 three point shots and only two of those came from the two-time MVP.
Curry found the strategy weird although he gets why. He is in fact, flattered by it.
“There’s a part of you that like fights it just because it’s not real basketball,” he told reporters.
“But there’s also a part of it that it’s flattering. Just knowing that you demand that much attention, and also what it does to create shots for other guys on the floor. I’ve seen it all, so I know that if that’s how they want to guard, how I can be effective, not letting it take me out of the game, but also use it to our advantage as a team.”
Draymond, Melton joins Stephen Curry
Green has more merciless take on the defense employed by Lee. He thought that decision could get a coach fired and suggested that it only help them execute their offensive system smoothly.
“I’ve seen coaches get fired for playing that defense, and it just doesn’t work.”
Draymond Green talks about the Hornets playing “gimmicky” defense against the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/nRcxK6BItS
— Joseph Dycus (@joseph_dycus) January 18, 2026
Credit: Getty Images
De’Anthony Melton was one of those who benefitted from the sticky defense on Curry. He made three 3-pointers and went 8 out of 16 from the field. He thought the defense was illogical.
The Warriors post game interviews about Charles Lee’s defensive strategy last night:
Green: “I’ve seen coaches get fired for playing that defense”
Melton: “The way they was doing it…there was no rhyme or reason”
Steph: “it’s not real basketball” pic.twitter.com/g5SvLlVZrQ
— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) January 18, 2026
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
