Now sitting 30 games into the 2022-23 schedule, the reality of the Charlotte Hornets is clear; this team is going nowhere.
The Hornets came into this season after arguably the worst offseason in franchise history. Of course, the largest domino to fall was Miles Bridges‘ arrest, but other developments such as the Kenny Atkinson debacle and the Jalen Duren trade made the 2022 offseason one to forget.
The Hornets did manage to resign Cody Martin, but he has only played one minute this season and has been on the shelf for weeks due to injury. Speaking of injuries, the Hornets have been incredibly unfortunate in this regard, losing several key players for extended stretches due to injury.
Perhaps the most glaring issue to arise came when Gordon Hayward was injured, only to come back as a visibly limited version of himself. Hayward’s wife then took to social media to share her side of the story, a statement that she later retracted.
The top priority for the Hornets at this point should be to take inventory of the current roster and decide who the long-term pieces are. Young players such as Bryce McGowens, Jalen McDaniels, Kai Jones, and Mark Williams certainly appear to be assets for the future. Meanwhile, veterans such as Hayward, Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Mason Plumlee would seem to be better suited on a contender.
While the season has been a disaster so far, the NBA draft lottery represents a glimmer of hope. Of course, the sensational Victor Wembanyama would be the prize jewel, but even players such as Scoot Henderson or Nick Smith Jr. would be good additions to the team.
The season is going nowhere for the Hornets, which is bad news considering there are still over 50 games left to play. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel is still a very long and disappointing place to be.