The Charlotte Hornets are coming off of yet another disappointing season. Having won just 48 games throughout the past two years, there are a lot of things that one can point to when assessing what’s wrong with this franchise.
While the front office may not be able to revitalize the club overnight, simply addressing the issues at hand would go a long way here. Charlotte has a promising young core, but it has some decisions to make in regards to how they should build around it moving forward. The issues may be glaring, but they are fixable.
If you didn’t know by now, the Hornets are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to defending the deep ball, and have been for a while. Charlotte has now allowed the fifth highest 3PT% in two of the last three seasons, and gave up a league-worst 39.6% 3PT rate when on the road this season.
Even if the entire team manages to stay healthy, they are still going to be struggling to close out on the perimeter. Conveniently enough, however, the Hornets will have multiple ways of addressing this problem.
Thanks to their business dealings prior to the trade deadline, they should have plenty of flexibility in free agency. If Miles Bridges returns they will have full use of the Mid-Level Exception $12.9 Million per year and the Bi-Annual Exception $4.6 Million per year. If Bridges were to leave, they could free up to $20 million in CAP space. Factor in the likelihood that the team ends up with an early draft pick, and there’s no reason to suggest that they won’t have several options moving forward. Regardless of the means of acquisition, defensive prowess needs to be a top priority for the Hornets this offseason when assessing potential talent.
Injuries will always carry with them an aspect of misfortune and uncertainty, they will never be completely preventable. However, with LaMelo Ball now openly discussing his consideration of wearing ankle braces, it may be time to have him do whatever is necessary. Having only played 58 games throughout the past two years, Ball’s presence, or lack thereof, will continue to make or break this team.
Seth Curry, a 33-year-old veteran who was shut down for the final stretch of the season due to a right ankle sprain, carries a $4 million cap hit. The ever-growing frustrations surrounding Mark Williams injury concerns are noting as he enters his third season while having only played 62 games. Cody Martin finally returned this season before picking up an ankle injury limiting him to 28 games this year. Can the Hornets continue to rely on key players who have proven they can't stay healthy?
The Hornets have five contract options to decide on this year and it is clear that the team is beginning to reach a crossroads. They are going to have to start taking a closer look at these types of situations sooner than later.
Utilizing the 2024 pick properly, whether that be through trading it to acquire further value, or by using it to select a prospect who can make an immediate impact, will be imperative to Charlotte’s success.
Thanks to a lucky tie breaker with the Portland Trail Blazers, the odds are beginning to favor Charlotte landing a top-four pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and they can fall no lower than seventh overall.
Either way, the draft slot of the pick itself is rather irrelevant in the long term, as it is up to the Hornets to decide the amount of value that they can squeeze out of it. Of course, a higher draft pick is always more favorable, but this upcoming class possesses little star power and no consensus at the top.
The Hornets managed to get it right in 2023 when they ignored the hype of Scoot Henderson in light of Brandon Miller, as Miller’s rookie campaign was the lone bright spot of the season. Charlotte will have to continue to replicate that draft success for a second year in a row in order to make any drastic changes. This is a young team that is still missing several key pieces, and they are going to need all of the help that they can get, should they hope to compete. This draft pick presents yet another opportunity for the Hornets to dust themselves off and field a more competitive roster, but they have to make the most of the hand that they are dealt.
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