2019-20 Eastern Conference Standings Predictions: Where do the Charlotte Hornets sit?
As the 2019-20 season slowly approaches, the Charlotte Hornets figure to struggle and finish towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Remember all the madness of NBA Free Agency back in early July? It feels so long ago. Fans are now getting antsy for the 2019-20 season to start. The league is wide open for the first time in years. For Charlotte Hornets fans, though, it will be a different season compared to previous years.
After sign-and-trading Kemba Walker to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Terry Rozier, Charlotte has put together a team that will more than likely be fighting for a top spot in the Draft Lottery rather than a top spot in the NBA Playoffs. It was time to rebuild, and Kemba leaving was the nail in the coffin.
Last season, the Charlotte Hornets finished with a 39-43 record, good enough for the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite a valiant effort towards the end of the season, they missed the playoffs by just two games. The Detroit Pistons earned the eighth and final playoff spot.
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Throughout the entire season, the goal was to make the playoffs and eventually re-sign Kemba Walker. There was a lot on the line and the Hornets simply came up short. Now, they must hit the reset button and build from the bottom.
Most people around the league aren’t expecting much from the Charlotte Hornets in 2019-20. In fact, Bleacher Report had them ranked 28th in the league in their post-free agency power rankings. My Swarm and Sting Co-Expert, Giovanni Spillman, discussed that ranking here.
It’s unfortunate because the fan base has already endured so much over the past eight years. They made the playoffs just twice during Kemba Walker’s tenure and failed to put the right talent around him on numerous occasions.
Time will tell if they can rebuild the right way this time around. It’s going to be rough in the beginning, but it may all be worth it in the end if they can assemble the right collection of young talent. There’s going to be a lot of losses in this upcoming season, but player development will be a top priority.
Let’s get things underway and predict the Eastern Conference standings for the 2019-20 season.