For Charlotte Hornets fans, thinking about playoffs before a season starts has been an absurd idea since the 2004 expansion. This season though, people inside and outside the organization agree, Charlotte is a team that should contend for a playoff spot.
Playoff expectations were first established by general manager Mitch Kupchak. He made it clear the bar has been raised this season.
"“Our goal is just not to get the eighth seed or to make the play-in tournament, we want to get in and we want to advance so that’s the goal,” Kupchak said. “Where and how successful we are, I don’t know right now, but yes, expectations are more than they were a year ago, and they should be.”"
Those seem like very ambitious goals for a young, inexperienced Hornets team, but players such as Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges also see Charlotte as a team that can make a playoff run.
Live @hornets media day: @MilesBridges “I feel like we can make some noise in the playoffs” added that staying healthy is a major factor to how deep a run a team can make. pic.twitter.com/0TqwT35Fhd
— Sam Farber (@SamFarberLive) September 27, 2021
Rozier added that this season would be considered a failure if the Hornets do not make the playoffs.
Terry Rozier said the #Hornets are "looking to do some special things." Said they want to be a playoff team and if they are not then the season is a failure. pic.twitter.com/egzSlxB4Rv
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) September 27, 2021
For Charlotte to achieve its goal and make the playoffs, a number of things need to go right this season. In this article, we will look at three key things the Hornets need to do to secure a playoff spot this season.