The Charlotte Hornets‘ 2018-19 NBA season will be pivotal in determining their near and distant future. With so much in the balance, it’s imperative that the Hornets do everything in their power to avoid this worst-case scenario.
After an impressive 2015-16 season and playoff run, the Charlotte Hornets had back-to-back 37-win seasons. Frankly, for a team looking to win now, these seasons were a letdown. This left the Hornets in a precarious circumstance: not good enough to tank and certainly not convincing enough to go all-in and risk future assets.
Most teams in the league start the season with playoff aspirations, looking to win as many games as possible. So, of course, finding themselves out of playoff contention or losing more games than expected would be the worst-case scenario for almost any team in the NBA.
Injuries to big players, locker room turmoil, trade rumors, front-office turnover and many other things can factor into a poor season. However, none of these things would be the worst-case scenario for the Charlotte Hornets. Rather, if the Hornets are to remain a team merely on the cusp of making the playoffs or stuck as the 9th or 10th best team in the East, it would be a disaster scenario for Charlotte.
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The 2019 NBA draft class isn’t quite as talented as year’s past; if the Hornets want a good draft pick, it won’t be found in the same 9-11 range. Rather, the talents of RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, Nassir Little, Cameron Reddish, and few others will only be available in the top eight or so selections.
Of course, in order to obtain one of these quality draft picks, the Hornets will likely have to finish with a mere 26-30 wins or less. Though this may seem far-fetched right now but if a couple of things don’t go the Hornets’ way (as has been the case in the past), things could go downhill fast.
Another factor that will have to be considered is Kemba Walker‘s future in Charlotte. Though Kemba and his camp have said all the right things, up until the 2019 trade deadline, Charlotte’s front office still hold all the cards. That said, another season of mediocrity inside a weak Eastern Conference will further leave Hornets’ fans and the front office at odds. After another lost season, bringing back a 29-year-old Kemba Walker would have many questioning the true direction of the team.
As has been the case previously, the fans should be able to tell if the team is playoff-caliber by January. If the Hornets project to be stuck at the end of the lottery once again, the front office will be pressed to make a move that firmly puts the team in a clear direction; trading away Kemba Walker or acquiring another player that drastically improves the team’s outlook.
Mediocrity has been tough for a fan-base that longs for a consistently good product. The 2018-19 season should answer a lot of questions regarding the future of team. However, if Charlotte isn’t careful, we could be having the same conversation next off-season, with even more questions than ever before.