Charlotte Hornets: Four players that need to step up this season

Following an eventful offseason, the Charlotte Hornets roster looks slightly different than it did the previous season.

After selecting James Bouknight and Kai Jones in the first round of the NBA draft and acquiring Mason Plumlee, Ish Smith, and Kelly Oubre Jr. via trade or signing, Charlotte proved they were willing to take risks and add veteran leadership while building around LaMelo Ball.

However, by making these moves, the Hornets allowed talented players to walk. The departures of Devonte’ Graham, Malik Monk, and Cody Zeller left holes in the team’s roster that would need to be addressed.

The team did fill some of these holes in the offseason. Both Bouknight and Jones have the potential to be key contributors as early as this year, while Plumlee and Oubre add much-needed depth at the center and wing positions. Unfortunately, none of these additions make Charlotte contenders for a championship or even the playoffs.

For Charlotte to contend for a playoff spot this upcoming season, the team will need to rely on internal improvements from guys already on the roster.  General manager Mitch Kupchak made it clear he expects young guys like Ball and P.J. Washington to step up and play a bigger role this season.

In this article, we will look at four guys from last year’s team who need to step up and carry a bigger load this season.