Charlotte Hornets finally have a “Big 3” but is it enough?

The addition of Dwight Howard gave the Charlotte Hornets a “Big 3” but they still may not have enough to compete with the East’s elite.

The Charlotte Hornets arguably haven’t had a big three since the 1990’s when the likes of Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Dell Curry and Muggsy Bogues graced the floor of the Charlotte Coliseum. It’s been almost 20 years since the team has had more than one player to be excited about. Now with Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Dwight Howard on the roster, they have somewhat of a serviceable “Big 3.”

The real question is, will this big three be enough?

It depends on what classifies as enough. For Charlotte, enough will probably be getting back to the postseason and making it past the first round. Considering that the franchise hasn’t been to the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2002, they would in all likelihood exceed expectations. The Hornets don’t need to win a Championship right off the bat but they need to have some success in order to continue their upward growth and show that their current big three can work for at least a couple seasons.

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A 27-year old point guard coming off of a career-best season, a 28-year old multi-tooled swingman and a 31-year old big man who has battled numerous recent injuries isn’t necessarily the ideal big three but it’s the best the team could do in their current situation. This is possibly the best trio Charlotte’s put together in some time. Only the 2009-10 team with Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace could rival this year’s and even then they are a player short.

Kemba Walker

Kemba is the star of the Charlotte Hornets. He will lead the team in scoring and be the go to player in just about any situation. Walker was named to his first all-star team last year and has shown significant improvement each of the past two seasons. Another step forward and a second all-star appearance would be ideal and is probably expected as he enters his prime years.

There is no questioning that Walker is the team’s leader. Kemba is arguably a top-eight point guard in the league. He would be a star on just about any team in the NBA. He will surely hold up his end of the deal.

Nicolas Batum

Some may say that Nic is overpaid. But in today’s NBA, a player who can affect the game in multiple ways, like he can, will get paid a substantial amount. With that being said, Batum still has a lot to prove this season. In the first year of his massive contract, he played rather poorly and left something to be desired.

With more weapons at his arsenal this season, big things are expected of the France international. He needs to get his PPG total closer to 20 and find a way to lower his turnovers. Entering his third year as Charlotte’s secondary ball handler and decision maker, Nicolas should be comfortable in Steve Clifford’s system and have an uptick in his production.

After making a name for himself as a role player in this league, Batum must now take the next step in his career and become a more prominent figure. As a player who can do a little bit of everything, Nic could find a way to fit with any contender in the NBA. The question is, does he have what it takes to help lead a team like the Hornets to playoff success?

Dwight Howard

If all goes according to plan, Howard will be injury free and average a double-double. He probably won’t get to 20p-10r territory but even 15p-12r would be huge for Charlotte. That isn’t out of the question as he averaged 13.5 PPG and 12.7 RPG last year. There’s also hope for a bounce back season because Dwight is reunited with Steve Clifford.

Realistically, he is way past his prime and he likely won’t record over 2 blocks per game like he did when he won three Defensive Players of the Year in Orlando. Although, that doesn’t mean that he can’t be effective. The eight-time all-star’s presence on the team is already starting to show with his popularity. People are slowly starting to talk about the Hornets. Hopefully, he can continue that trend with his on-court play once the season begins.

Next: Projecting Charlotte's starting lineup and sixth man

Only time will tell if this threesome has what it takes to make some significant noise in the weak Eastern Conference. Making the playoffs will be a step in the right direction but winning a series would be a substantial improvement for the Charlotte Hornets. This might be an unconventional “Big 3” but they may just be enough.