There have been a few reasons to be hopeful about the remainder of the Charlotte Hornets' season. Many fans are already looking forward to the draft lottery, likely wishful that good fortune will fall on the franchise in the form of a high draft pick.
There was a brief period, though, when the Hornets faithful were optimistic about the team winning the games they should be prevailing in. Unfortunately, it followed up its three-game win streak by losing seven of its next eight contests.
Its latest loss came on Monday against the Washington Wizards, who have already secured the regular-season series against Charlotte. The league's worst team is now 3-0 against the Hornets. It's hard to fathom that three of the Wizards' eight dubs (equivalent to 37.5 percent) have come against Buzz City.
The Monday bout saw Washington go up by as many as 26 points in the first half before the Hornets outscored the visitors 34-20 in the third quarter to somewhat narrow the margin. The Wizards ended up taking the 124-114 victory.
Some people might have forgotten that Jeff Peterson still has a lot of work to do
Three humiliating results against Washington might have some fans thinking how poorly the front office, led by executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, has run the organization.
Of course, injuries have been a huge reason for the Hornets' abysmal record. Two key players, Grant Williams and Brandon Miller, sustained season-ending injuries, with a third possible case, as Tre Mann could require surgery that would cause him to sit out several months. Other pieces, including LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, also needed to spend significant time on the sidelines.
Still, some folks have wondered whether a fully healthy Hornets squad would be able to compete in the Eastern Conference, considering the roster flaws and Charles Lee's ineffective offensive system.
The good news for Peterson is that there is little he can do to overtake Dallas Mavericks president Nico Harrison as the NBA's worst executive.
The Mavs head honcho has distracted everyone around the league by inexplicably trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, a move that could actually benefit Charlotte. While that could lead to some short-term gains for Dallas, giving up the face of the franchise for a star six years older and just one first-round pick will likely backfire in a big way.
Harrison tried explaining his side but did little to assuage people's extreme pessimism about the Mavs' short-term and long-term outlook.
Let's say that his assertion about Doncic's conditioning and apprehension about giving the five-time All-Star a supermax extension are valid; it's still mind-boggling that he didn't start a bidding war for the Slovenian phenom. Instead, he apparently zeroed in on the Lakers over a month ago and didn't have the sense to talk to other teams.
Making matters worse is the rumor that Harrison's asking price included Dalton Knecht and multiple first-round picks. However, Lakers president Rob Pelinka reportedly convinced his Dallas counterpart that Doncic's health risk and off-court distractions weren't worth all those assets.
As such, Harrison has tanked his reputation and credibility big time. He has certainly set the bar low for the likes of Peterson.
Still, that doesn't mean Hornets fans aren't watching the 36-year-old executive. Any egregious mistake in the coming months will have folks calling for his head.