As the 2019-2020 NBA season approaches, the Charlotte Hornets are looking to give their young talent more playing time and win at the same time.
The Charlotte Hornets front office has made it clear that tanking is not an option even with top prospects Cole Anthony and LaMelo Ball are already projected top draft picks in next year’s NBA draft.
Now that the overall direction is more clear to Hornet fans, some are left a little confused as to how playing the young stars and winning will translate into landing a top draft pick that Charlotte hasn’t seen since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
If winning is really what the Hornets are after, the potential lineups make the goal of getting to the playoffs achievable especially with the East looking even more sparse than usual. The biggest worry for the Hornet community is another 10-seed season.
The biggest upside that the Hornets can offer to the idea of making the playoffs is the acquisition of Terry Rozier. Scary Terry was kept in the shadows in Boston behind a deep rotation of guards. The 25 year old already has playoff experience and an arsenal of offensive moves and scoring abilities.
Other reasons to believe this Hornets team can actually win games instead of tanking include;
- Third year player Malik Monk put on 20 pounds of muscle this off-season. This should open the floor for Monk to drive to the basket and absorb hits. Expect him to start some games this year with more confidence.
- Nicolas Batum could have a break out year. With all of the hate that goes his way from the Hornet community over the past couple of years, Batum should be ready to change our minds. After beating team USA this summer, Batum ought to be fully focused on leading the young players and being a more consistent shooter.
- The combination of Dwayne Bacon and Miles Bridges is very promising. These young guns have showcased their abilities to be stars in this league with dunking and scoring abilities. Expect the Hornets first round pick, PJ Washington to shine as well coming off the bench.
- Terry Rozier has big shoes to fill after Kemba Walker‘s departure. Signing a 3 year 58 million dollar deal was the Hornets way of handing a new captain the keys to the ship. Rozier can now openly take more shots, double his playing time, and become the face of the Hornets.
A playoff appearance would be really big for this franchise after losing such a huge piece (Kemba.) Not making the playoffs and sitting dead in the middle would be a failure to Hornet fans because that is what has happened time and time again.
At some point before the NBA All Star break, Charlotte is going to have to decide if they can actually make an eighth seed or better, or if it would be smart to toss in the towel for a better draft pick.
All in all, this upcoming season will decide the future for this team and the anticipation is real. The amount of young hoopers this team has stacked over the years make Charlotte dangerous as time goes on.