That’s cool and all, but Ball digging in defensively with the kind of effort he had against the Rockets is what really has the Hornets salivating. “Yeah, it helps when your best players play defense,” coach Charles Lee said. “Around the league, some of the better teams in the league, their best guys, they can play defense. You don’t have to call a time out at the end of the game, and have to sub them out and use your timeouts or anything like that. “Him taking ownership of that side of the ball, I think just helps our team, sets an example for everyone one through 15 or 18 with your two-way guys. I’m just very proud and excited for him to continue to grow.”