This season, the Charlotte Hornets took a massive step forward in their quest to become perennial contenders in the NBA, finishing with a 48-34 record. Let’s take a look at how they got here.
It’s the offseason of 2014. The Charlotte Bobcats have just been swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, ending the Bobcats’ final season on a somewhat sour note. This season is only the second time since 2004 that the franchise appears in the playoffs. Not all is doom and gloom, however. The fact that the Bobcats even qualify for the playoffs in 2014 is encouraging, considering that this season is only the second time since 2004 the franchise appears in the playoffs. Al Jefferson‘s arrival gives the Bobcats just the boost they need to clinch the seventh seed at 43-39. And there is a buzz in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Fans throughout the area are anticipating the return of a team nickname they have not seen in twelve years: the Hornets.
The summer of 2014 is one of transformation. Owner Michael Jordan unveils a completely new franchise identity, bringing back the Charlotte Hornets that so captivated the fans of decades past. However, these Charlotte Hornets have a modern twist. The new logo, uniforms, and wordmark pay homage to the original Hornets, but the edges are cleaner, the font sharper. The excitement grows as the Hornets make a big splash in free agency by signing Lance Stephenson, a standout who previously played for the Indiana Pacers.
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With their new look and their new personnel, this iteration of the Charlotte Hornets takes the floor for the very first time at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. After erasing a 24-point third quarter deficit and forcing overtime, Kemba Walker and the Hornets notch their first victory in purple and teal. Unfortunately, the euphoria surrounding the 108-106 win does not represent the entirety of the Hornets’ inaugural season.
“The Lance Stephenson Experiment,” as it comes to be known, ends up doing more harm than good. Stephenson struggles to find his niche on the roster, as evidenced by his shooting numbers of 37.6% from the field, and 17.1% from three. Injuries also take their toll on the Hornets, with Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all missing extended time. By spring 2015, the Hornets stumble to a disappointing 33-49 record, eager to reset for a fresh season.
This off-season, the Hornets go through another identity change. But this time, the shift takes place not in their name, but in their roster. Rich Cho is on a mission to remake his team in the image of the modern NBA, with newfound emphasis on improving the previously abysmal offense. The Hornets either release or trade away about half of the players on the roster at the end of the 2014-2015 season.
Thankfully, Lance Stephenson finds a new home with the LA Clippers in exchange for Matt Barnes (later traded to Memphis) and Spencer Hawes. In one of the more eye-catching trades of the off-season, Charlotte ships off veteran shooting guard Gerald Henderson and 2014 first round draft pick Noah Vonleh to Portland for Nicolas Batum. Through trade and free agency, the Hornets acquire the Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb, and Tyler Hansbrough, a nice touch for all the local Tar Heel fans.
With the remake of the roster well under way, the Hornets enter the most crucial point of the off-season: the draft. This year, Charlotte has the ninth pick: a slot which is apparently coveted by the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are so desperate for the ninth pick, ESPN’s Chris Forsberg reports, that they offer Charlotte six draft picks, including four potential first-rounders. Boston has its eye on Duke forward Justise Winslow; however, Charlotte sticks to its guns, refuses Boston’s mammoth offer, and drafts Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky. Still on the board is Justise Winslow, who is taken tenth by the Miami Heat. Sorry, Boston.
Some controversy ensues from Charlotte fans who feel that Winslow should have been theirs. However, lost in the debate is the value that “Frank the Tank” brings to the Hornets. As 2015’s National College Player of the Year, Kaminsky brings immediate impact to the team. Kaminsky plays in all but one regular season game, mostly coming off the bench. However, he performs admirably in his three regular season starts, signaling to the coaching staff that he can be productive under more pressure and with more responsibility.
The same can be said of the rest of the team. During the preseason, the Hornets roar to a 7-0 start, including two back-to-back victories against the Clippers in China. Even though they drop the last game to the Pacers 98-86, and even though preseason games are not always indicators of how strong a team will be in the regular season, this impressive run fosters optimism in Buzz City.
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The Hornets get off to a strong start in the regular season, even reaching the second seed in the Eastern Conference on December 11, 2015. With a 14-8 record, Charlotte is just one game back of the 15-7 Cleveland Cavaliers. However, a rough winter filled with injuries and poor play leaves Charlotte limping (literally) to 18-22 by January 16, good for 12th in the East.
Then, magic starts happening.
Catalyzed by a 124-119 double-overtime victory over the Utah Jazz on January 18, the Charlotte Hornets finish the season a staggering 30-12. Hidden in that run are a five-game winning streak and a seven-game winning streak, with the latter featuring wins over the Suns, Sixers, Pacers, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Pistons, and Rockets. During the spring, the Hornets also notch two message-sending wins over the Cavaliers and the Spurs. The NBA now knows to take Charlotte seriously.
There are several events that cause Charlotte’s mid-season revival. For one, Al Jefferson comes back from a winter of leg injuries and a drug suspension. However, Cody Zeller has by then shifted into Al’s starting center role, and that’s how it stays for most of the season. With Big Al coming off the bench, the pace of the team picks up, allowing for more ball movement and better play all around.
Another crucial factor in the Hornet’s ascension is their acquisition of Courtney Lee near the trade deadline. Sending P.J. Hairston and Brian Roberts elsewhere, the Hornets are involved in a three-team trade that lands them Lee, a solid perimeter defender able to contribute on the offensive end when help is needed the most. Lee starts right away for the Hornets, becoming an integral piece of a team looking ahead to the postseason. Throw in Kemba Walker’s usual heroics, and you’ve got a squad exceeding all expectations after being in the dumps just months earlier.
By April, the Hornets are locked in a four-way tie with Boston, Miami, and Atlanta for the third seed in the East. Unfortunately, the tiebreaker scenario puts the Hornets at the bottom of the pack, leaving them sixth in the conference and matched up with the Miami Heat in the first round.
After two blowout losses at Miami to begin the series, things are not looking so great for Charlotte’s third playoff appearance in twelve years. But these next two games are at home. And Steve Clifford gets a little advice from Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan, who both suggest using Frank Kaminsky more in the post. Clifford later told the press, “You have two first-ballot Hall of Famers and you average four a game at Maine-Farmington, and they both say, ‘Post Frank? Hell, s—, you’ve got to post Frank.”
Game 3 sees Nicolas Batum on the bench due to an injury suffered in the previous game, which gave Clifford the perfect opportunity to start Kaminsky. And Frank delivered. Starting for the rest of the series, Kaminsky is a consistent contributor on both ends of the floor, helping the Hornets win both Game 3 and 4 at home, and even stealing Game 5 on the road in Miami.
Game 6. In Charlotte. Leading the series 3-2. The perfect recipe for a trap game.
Game 6. In Charlotte. Leading the series 3-2. The perfect recipe for a trap game.
After a hard-fought game, Dwayne Wade proceeds to drill two three-pointers at the end of the fourth quarter to sour the mood of an entire arena. The crushing loss at home takes all of the energy out of the Hornets for Game 7, who simply don’t put up enough effort to take down the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena.
So here we are. The present. The Hornets, having gutted half of their roster from the year before, massively exceed the expectations set at the beginning of the year, and even mid-January. As five key Hornets become free agents on July 1, the front office must decide who to keep, and who to let go.
Whatever comes of the roster after free agency and the draft, Charlotte fans should be pleased with the outcome of this past season and hopeful for the next. The Hornets have to repeat what they did right last year, and improve on what didn’t go so well. And hey, remember that all but seven games this year were played without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
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Congratulations, Charlotte. Our team has put the Association on notice. They are here to play and they are not to be overlooked. Here’s to a fantastic season, and many more to come.