The Hornets Now Own the Longest Playoff Drought in the NBA
Sixteen years. That's how long it took for the Sacramento Kings to get back to the postseason. On Wednesday night, they clinched a spot in the Western Conference playoffs by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-80.
With that playoff-clinching win by the Kings, the Charlotte Hornets now own the longest playoff drought in the NBA. The Hornets made it into the play-in tournament in each of the last two seasons, but that does not qualify as a postseason appearance, which last came in 2016.
But the Hornets' lack of success goes further back than just the last handful of years. Despite having 18 lottery picks in the last 18 years, the organization has only made three trips to the playoffs. Charlotte didn't advance a single round in any of those three appearances and was swept in two of the series, one by Miami and the other by Orlando. It's also been 20 years since the Hornets won a playoff series.
As bad as things have been, there is some optimism regarding the future of the team with LaMelo Ball serving as the face of the franchise and a likely top-five pick coming to Charlotte this summer. Also, there could be a change in ownership as Michael Jordan is "in serious talks" to sell a majority stake in the franchise, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. An ownership change could bring new ideas for how to construct the roster, coaching staff, and front office personnel.
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