The Charlotte Hornets have hit rock bottom

The Hornets have finally hit their lowest point of the season.

Feb 22, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) lays on the court after being fouled during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

In a season where the Hornets currently hold a 14-42 record, I think it's safe to say that they have officially hit rock bottom.

Their last two games ended in historically bad losses. On Saturday night, they lost by 53 points, which was tied for the biggest loss in franchise history. They then followed it up on Monday night with a 42-point loss to the Sacramento Kings.

This comes pretty soon after the Hornets had one of their best wins of the season versus the Los Angeles Lakers, which occurred last Wednesday.

Even though the Hornets' season hasn't been anything like most anticipated coming in, it's still shocking that the Hornets lost so badly even with their star player LaMelo Ball on the floor. The Hornets have played much better when Ball is on the court, as they've only won one game without him this season.

Feb 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

With all the injuries and setbacks the team has experienced this season, it's hard to find any real positives associated with the 2024-25 season. Especially when performances and results similar to the last two games occur. It's one thing to lose, but it's another thing to lose as rough as the Hornets franchise has recently.

It certainly doesn't help that Tidjane Salaün hasn't shown many signs of improvement in his rookie season, which has left most fans concerned for his and the Hornets' future. As well, the recent play of LaMelo Ball has drawn worries about his long-term success with the Hornets.

Due to all of the injuries and lack of depth, the Hornets have on the roster, Ball has experienced the full attention of NBA defenses on him and he's still learning to adjust to the contact and physicality they've used against him.

There are so many questions that the Hornets have to answer and some of them may not be answered, especially this season. Some of those questions regard Mark Williams and LaMelo Ball's future, along with Tre Mann and his upcoming free agency, plus other aspects that pertain to the Hornets' depth pieces.

Other questions regard the Hornets' continuous injury woes and when or if they will ever be solved. The injuries have haunted the Hornets rosters for years since their last play-in appearance in the 2021-22 campaign.

Feb 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee motions to his bench during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

As many are well aware, the Hornets have the longest playoff drought in the NBA currently, as the last time they made the playoffs was in the 2015-2016 season.

The Hornets have surely had their horrific seasons since then, but none have felt as deflating, depressing, or demoralizing as this season. It has felt like one of those years where the second something goes right, you know something wrong is coming.

There's a legitimate argument that this season has been more difficult to stomach for Hornets fans than the infamous 2011-12 season, where the Hornets won just seven games. Some of that reasoning may be because of the expectations that many people had coming into the season with a fully healthy squad. However, that flame was put out in training camp when Mark Williams injured his foot.

As they say, sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before things begin to turn around and maybe that's exactly what the Hornets need to have happen. They've never needed more help and luck from the NBA's draft lottery than now. If the Hornets season ended today, they would hold the fourth pick in the NBA draft.

Feb 22, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) drives to the basket in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Hornets currently have the same amount of wins as two other teams (Utah Jazz + New Orleans Pelicans). They'll most likely have to have the Jazz and Pelicans finish with a better record to give them a better chance of securing a higher pick.

There's no doubt about it, this season has been over for quite some time now, but it would be nice to see the Hornets finish off the season with some more convincing play. Well, at least anything better than the recent play that they've displayed on the court as of late.

If there's one thing that could get the Hornets out of this current hole that they're currently in, it would be to secure the first overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

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