Can the Hornets Make a Playoff Push If/When They Get Healthy?

It doesn't look promising now, but Charlotte has the potential to re-enter the postseason mix.

Playoffs?!? We're talking about playoffs??? Yes, this is our Jim Mora moment.

The Charlotte Hornets are 6-14 through the first 20 games of the season and currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. As bad as things have been, there is still some reason to believe that the season can turn around. 

How, you may ask?

Well, let's start with the obvious. The Hornets need to get healthy. They're not going to be able to remain competitive for the long haul if LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, and even Dennis Smith Jr. continue to miss time. Ball re-sprained his ankle and is considered day-to-day, week-to-week, Hayward could miss several weeks with what his wife pointed out on Instagram as a fractured scapula, and Martin is still a couple of weeks away from returning following knee surgery.

In the meantime, Terry Rozier needs to be more efficient on the offensive end. He is averaging 20.5 points per game, but in all honesty, it should be a few notches higher with the offense essentially running through him while Ball and Hayward are out. Rozier is shooting just 38% from the field which is a 6% decrease from last season and only 30% from three-point land, a 7% decrease.

Much like Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr. has to become more consistent shooting the ball. He's always been tabbed as a "streaky" shooter, but he's been off more nights than not. He's currently shooting 31% from three and for the Hornets to get back to being the offensive juggernaut they were a year ago, he needs to live around the 34-35% mark.

The offense helped hide Charlotte's defensive deficiencies a year ago. There were several games where the Hornets relied on the three-ball (36% - 6th in league) and their ability to get out in transition (16.2 ppg - 2nd in league). As of today, the Hornets sit 29th and 18th in those categories, respectively. 

Depending on where the Hornets sit come the NBA trade deadline in early February, GM Mitch Kupchak may not be willing to make any moves to add to the roster. In order for that to not be the case, they need to be within a few games of 10th place in the East. They are only three games behind the Brooklyn Nets who reside in that spot at the moment but teams like the Nets, Heat, and Bulls are only going to get better as the season moves along. 

Considering Gordon Hayward's injury history, it's unlikely that he'll be much of a factor in helping change the direction of the season. It might be hard to believe, but I actually think getting Cody Martin back will be more beneficial. The team needs a defensive presence on the floor and Martin brings that. Plus, he's certainly more durable than Hayward. 

Get Ball back. Get Martin back. Be more efficient on the offensive end. If those things happen, the Hornets just might be able to overcome this dreadful 6-14 start.

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