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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ Lottery Odds, What’s Next?

By Jerry Stephens

Apr 11, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Christian Wood (35) reaches for a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 103-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Christian Wood (35) reaches for a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 103-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

With the NBA regular season now officially over, the Charlotte Hornets‘ offseason is underway while the playoffs are just a few days from starting for 16 teams. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the team’s lottery odds, what’s next for the Hornets and the disappointing year ends without a postseason appearance for Charlotte.

Hornets’ Lottery Odds (BleacherReport.com)

"The pingpong balls will have the final say May 16, when the draft lottery is slated to unfold. Until then, here’s a rundown of the projected lottery order based on season-ending standings and the odds associated with them"

With the regular season now officially over, the lottery odds are set. Charlotte finished with the 11th worst record in the league at 36-46. They will have a 0.8% chance to get the first overall pick while also having a 2.9% chance to land in the top-three.

It will be interesting to see how the lottery plays out and if the pingpong balls will finally fall in the Hornets’ favor. Only one time has the team with the 11th worst record got the first overall pick and that was the Orlando Magic back in 1993.

What’s Next for Charlotte? (ESPN.com)

"After bringing back the majority of the rotation from last year, Charlotte could not reach the same heights despite another strong year from Kemba Walker. But as the Hornets stand to hold on to most of their key players once again, the playoffs are a reasonable goal."

This page features a series of questions that fans can vote on to see how they feel about the Hornets’ season and the team going forward. Early returns have Cody Zeller as Charlotte’s second MVP behind Kemba Walker and consistent scorers behind Kemba being their biggest need. Despite the down season, most fans believe the team will make the playoffs next year.

This will be an important summer for the Hornets and their future. With Walker entering the prime of his career, they need to find a secondary star and quality players to build around him before his window closes. That means they need to not only hit on their draft pick but also with trades and free agent signings.

Disappointing Season Ends Without Playoff Appearance (WCNC.com)

"One game away from winning a playoff series last season, the Hornets missed the postseason entirely this season. At the end-of-season press conference Coach Steve Clifford wasn’t interested in making excuses, instead borrowing a quote from NFL coaching legend Bill Parcells. “You are what your record says you are,” Clifford said."

Next: Hornets' Top-10 Plays of the Season

Not only did the Hornets miss out on the postseason but they were 12 games worse than last year. Charlotte fell flat on their face this season and they fell hard. Many experts thought they would be a top-five team in the East. Instead, the team regressed and they are looking at yet another down year ending up in the lottery.

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