Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ Stuck in Mediocrity, Limited Options This Offseason

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While the Charlotte Hornets were stuck conducting exit interviews, the first-round playoff matchup in the NBA got underway. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the team being stuck in long-term mediocrity, their limited options this offseason and Alonzo Mourning being Charlotte’s best draft pick ever.

Hornets Could be Stuck in Long-Term Mediocrity (GastonGazette.com)

"On the one hand, the Hornets are a step ahead of the rest of the dregs in the Eastern Conference because they understand their relative strengths, weaknesses and the style they want to play. On the other, the pieces don’t fit the vision. A team can’t be “hard to play against” when its defenders are getting blown by on the perimeter, leading to lay-ups or open 3s."

It seems like we talk about whether Charlotte’s stuck in mediocrity every season. There is probably a reason for that as the Hornets are seemingly always in the middle of the pack each year. After the 46-win season last year, the team came crashing back down to Earth during the 2016-17 campaign.

They may not be as dysfunctional as the Knicks or the Kings but the Hornets are still in the same boat as those two teams considering that they all missed out on the playoffs. Charlotte’s upside is a bit brighter but unless they can prove to be a perennial postseason squad, then mediocrity is where they will reside. While there is still some hope that the team will turn things around next season, there is a good chance that they will be stuck in the same spot.

Charlotte Enters Offseason With Limited Options (AtTheHive.com)

"Ultimately, with their options limited, look for a pragmatic approach this offseason. As much as many of us would like to see a dramatic upgrade and reshuffling, the Hornets don’t have the flexibility to do so. It won’t make for a eye-catching summer, but some of Charlotte’s best moves in the past were the ones that initially went under the radar."

Limited is an understatement. The team’s almost maxed out cap-wise so they have no chance at signing a marquee free agent. They hold a lottery pick in a talented draft but it will likely be towards the tail end of the lottery which means they will probably miss out on the highest rated players. A blockbuster deal is unlikely because player’s trade value is low coming off of a down season.

Rich Cho needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat this offseason as Charlotte desperately needs to get better. Whoever they sign, draft or trade for this summer has to be a hit as the Hornets can’t afford to miss on any additions to their roster. I don’t like always going back to this but they do need another Jeremy Lin type of signing.

Is Alonzo Mourning the Best Draft Pick in Team History? (OldNorthBanter.com)

"The Hornets never made the playoffs before Mourning arrived. In his three years in Charlotte, Mourning went to the playoffs twice."

Next: Hornets' Four Biggest Concerns Entering Offseason

Our friends over at Old North Banter put together a list of the Hornets’ top-10 draft picks in franchise history. Larry Johnson, Baron Davis, Kemba Walker and Emeka Okafor rounded out the top-five with Zo being named the best pick in team history. On talent and NBA success alone, Mourning is the best selection in Charlotte’s history, but he only played three years with the team. So for me, he can’t be ranked that high because his success didn’t come with the Hornets’ organization.