Is it time to discuss postseason basketball in Charlotte?

When a team goes 19-63, a postseason berth in the following season seems like a long-shot.

President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson has made it his mission that after a decade long drought, the Charlotte Hornets can return to the postseason. Each move he's made over the past year has been calculated, helping build out a team that can contend in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

The 19-63 record has some asterisks to it. The Hornets were shark-bitten by injuries, to a point where they trotted out around fifty different starting lineups during the season. Two key rotational players, Grant Williams and Tre Mann, went down with injuries in November. Before Mann went down, the team was sitting at 6-7. After the injury? 12-56. With LaMelo Ball out, the team was 16-31.

The losses were not all blowouts as well. It was a testament to first year head coach Charles Lee's talents, staying competitive in games with rosters of players that are normally floating around the G-League. Peterson rewarded Lee's hard work with giving him talent, in the start of what has been a tremendous offseason.

The Hornets biggest issue (besides health) was their shooting. When building a team around LaMelo Ball, shooting is extremely important. He's one of the best playmakers in the sport right now, and giving him players that will knock down his Magic Johnson-esque passes will lead the Hornets to more wins than some may think.

Peterson addressed this in the first round of the NBA Draft, selecting Duke's Kon Knueppel at four, and UConn's Liam McNeeley at 29. In acquiring McNeeley, the Hornets sent out Mark Williams to Phoenix, bringing in the 29th pick, Vasa Micic, and a future first round pick. While Mark was the Hornets starting center, it was clear the team needed to move on. His defensive abilities, which once were one of the most exciting parts of his game, had become a net-negative. Mixed with his constant injuries, it was time to move on.

In the second round, the Hornets used the 33rd and 34th picks to select Duke's Sion James, and Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner. James is similar to Lu Dort, a hard-nosed defender who can be a spot up shooter when needed. As for Kalkbrenner, he played five years at Creighton, being one of the best defensive centers in college basketball. He also is a lob threat on offense who is poised to add a three point shot at some point.

The day before free agency started, Peterson made a move. For the last few seasons, the Hornets had been looking for guard help for LaMelo Ball. They wanted ball-handlers who could take pressure off of LaMelo, and they found one when the team acquired Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz, sending away center Jusuf Nurkic.

The deal showed two things: the team's belief in the roster they are building, and their belief in the center rotation. After the draft concluded, the center rotation was Moussa Diabate, Kalkbrenner, and Nurkic. Diabate had already won the center position before, beating out Mark Williams in February before the Lakers rescinded their deal for the center.

As for Sexton, questions arose about the team's thoughts on Tre Mann after the deal. Mann went down in November with a back injury after playing 13 games, and did not suit up for the team again for the remainder of the season. They also did not tender the qualifying offer to Mann, which added to fans questions about the Hornets interest in bringing the guard back.

Those questions were silenced yesterday, as the Hornets brought back Mann on a three year, $24 million contract. It's the second deal of free agency the Hornets have made, along with bringing back Mason Plumlee on a one year, $3.6 million deal to add depth and a veteran presence in the center rotation.

Peterson also made another move, sending out Vasa Micic to Milwaukee for Pat Connaughton and two future second round picks.

So in total:

In: Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Collin Sexton, Mason Plumlee, Pat Connaughton

Out: Mark Williams, Jusuf Nurkic, Seth Curry*, Taj Gibson*

*still free agents

With the offseason still in it's infancy, deals are still expected to come. Josh Green, Josh Okogie, and Nick Smith Jr have all been floated around in trade rumors, and the team needs to clear up roster spots for next season if they plan to sign all their rookies to standard NBA contracts.

As for the team itself, the East is arguably the weakest it's been in years. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton both have torn achilles, presumably bumping them down in the East standings. The Bucks swapped Dame Lillard, who also tore his achilles, out for Myles Turner. The Pistons replaced Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr with Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, and even the Cavs lost Ty Jerome.

It's a weak conference, and it's a perfect opportunity for the Hornets to take advantage of. While the playoffs still might be a long shot, it's not completely out of the question. The team is likely a front court move away from being in the playoff conversation.

For a team who has not seen the playoffs in nearly a decade, the grass is starting to look greener.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

John Collins mock trade: Hornets add valuable big as roster overhaul continues

Charlotte Hornets mock trade: Jeff Peterson brings a familiar face back to the Queen City

Evaluating Spencer Dinwiddie as a fit for the Hornets

Why Pat Connaughton could be a sneaky-good fit for the Hornets this season