Hornets Could Surprise the League Next Season
The Charlotte Hornets will be the surprise team of the NBA next season? No, I'm not crazy, just hear me out. I have many reasons to support why I think the Hornets could shock people next year. Here are a few.
#1 - The Hornets didn't have their star player for most of last season
The Hornets were met with injury after injury throughout the entire 2022-2023 season. It started off when LaMelo Ball's ankle injury which occurred in the preseason and kept him out of the lineup for the first 13 games of the year. Obviously, LaMelo was in and out of the lineup throughout much of the season as he ended up suffering three more ankle injuries, limiting him to just 36 games on the year. The last one kept him out the rest of the season as he suffered a fractured ankle, which required surgery. The Hornets won 13 games when LaMelo was in the lineup which may not seem like a lot, but that was half of their win total. A healthy LaMelo Ball makes a world of difference for the Hornets.
#2 - Injuries to other key role players played a bigger role than a lot of people believed last season
It wasn't just LaMelo who suffered injuries. A forgotten piece this season was Cody Martin, who suffered an injury in the first minute of the first game of the season. Martin only appeared in six other games this past season and is someone they clearly missed, particularly on the defensive end.
Even Terry Rozier missed 19 games, which hasn't happened since the 2019-2020 season when he first joined the Hornets. Gordon Hayward missed 32 games, which isn't much of a surprise, but was certainly a hit. Kelly Oubre Jr. was having a career year but missed 34 games, most of which came from a hand injury that required surgery. And Dennis Smith Jr, who was probably the Hornets' best defensive player all year missed 27 games. With Smith Jr. on the floor, the Hornets won 20 games, which is just seven shy of the number of wins the Hornets had this season.
Every one of these guys is important to the Hornets' success and the fact most of them missed a substantial amount of time at the same time hurt even more. You hate to blame injuries as the primary reason for the team's shortcomings, but it's just reality.
#3 - The Hornets won 43 games in the 2021-2022 season with a similar team
The Charlotte Hornets went 43-39 just a season ago. Obviously, that team had Miles Bridges, but it seems that the Hornets have every intention of bringing Bridges back. The only thing that was evidently different is the team had Montrezl Harrell and Isaiah Thomas. I think it's well-known across the fan base and organization that Mark Williams and Dennis Smith Jr. are significant upgrades. Prior to this season, the Hornets made the Play-In Tournament in consecutive years, so it's not a lack of talent. Some could argue the Hornets would've made the playoffs in the 2020-2021 season if it weren't for Gordon Hayward's injury.
With all that being said, the team that won 43 games in the 2021-2022 season was a pure offensive group. With Steve Clifford leading the charge, the Hornets are starting to take pride in their defense. It wasn't fair to put too much criticism on Clifford for what happened to Charlotte this past season. He can't control injuries. But what he can control is the team's effort and toughness and he certainly had the team willing to fight at the defensive end post-All-Star break.
#4 - Center depth
It's no question that Mark Williams is the real deal and an upgrade over Mason Plumlee. It's hard to put into words the impact Mark Williams has made on the defensive side. In fact, since Mark Williams took over the starting position after the All-Star break, he gave the Hornets the best defensive rating in the league for several weeks. The exciting lob connection between Ball and Williams only started seven games together, so their chemistry is only going to get stronger.
No, Nick Richards, I did not forget about you. Richards had a terrific season after many people thought he had no future with the team. In the last 10 games of the season, Richards averaged a double-double with 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He is a very solid quality player and for him to be behind Mark Williams for the next couple of seasons gives the Hornets some stability. This is without a doubt the best center depth the Hornets have had.
#5 - The draft
It's well known that the Hornets have the second pick in the NBA Draft on June 22nd, but they also have another first-round pick (No. 27) and three second-round picks.
The picks they have outside of the second pick are drastically important for various reasons. For one, they could use a couple of the seconds and package it with the first-rounder to try and move up in the first round. Or they could also package some of their picks and offload a contract to get another player in return. It will be intriguing to see what Mitch Kupchak decides to do because he's been excellent at drafting in the second round.
The future is bright for the Hornets. They have a real chance to build a playoff team and a real squad behind LaMelo Ball via the draft and free agency. If you give this team that won 43 games just a season ago a potential generational talent in the draft, watch out.
Below are a few highlights from games showing what the Hornets can do at/or almost full strength.
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