What Pat Connaughton needs to do to make the Hornets' roster

This was the most consequential offseason that the Charlotte Hornets have had in the last half-decade. After years of being stuck towards the bottom of the draft lottery, they made several moves to reverse their fortunes.

One of those moves was to trade for Pat Connaughton. They received him in exchange for Vasilije Micic and a couple of second-round picks, getting him for basically nothing.

Conaughton's spot on the roster is anything but guaranteed as he gears up for his 11th season in the league. If he's going to play for the Hornets this season, he has to do a couple of things.

Pat Connaughton must defend at a high level to make the Hornets' roster

The most important thing that Connaughton needs to do is defend at a high level. His defense was what got him on the court early in his career, but now he is an aging veteran with footspeed that is considered suspect.

Connaughton's size gives him the benefit of being a switchable defender on defense, making defending the pick-and-roll at the top of the key easier.

At this point in his career, Connaughton is seen as a 3-and-D kind of player. His defense has taken a slight dip from its peak in the last couple of seasons, but it's still good enough.

The issue in Milwaukee was that he didn't pair it with good enough outside shooting. His shooting stroke from outside the arc was so poor that Milwaukee decided to bench him in favor of other options.

The Hornets need above-average 3-point shooting out of Connaughton

Last season with the Hornets, Connaughton shot just 32.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc in the 41 games he played. Only his rookie season produced more putrid numbers from outside.

If Connaughton doesn't find his sweet shooting stroke once more, the Hornets won't give him the chance to make the team. There are too many other good or younger players than him.

Charlotte is only interested in Connaughton if he can still contribute on the court. They likely won't keep him just to be a veteran locker room presence; that's why they have Mason Plumlee.

The Hornets will give him a fair chance to earn a roster spot with solid play in training camp and preseason; he just has to take advantage of it.

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