The 2022-23 season for the Charlotte Hornets has been an absolute disaster. With a record of 14-36, they are one of the worst teams in the NBA.
There have been many bad moments surrounding this team including Miles Bridges’ arrest, Gordon Hayward’s continued injury woes, the uninspiring hire of Steve Clifford, and the running list of injuries suffered by key players.
It has not been a fun season; however there have been positive moments from players on this team not named LaMelo Ball. One of the biggest positives for the Hornets has been the emergence of Jalen McDaniels.
McDaniels has had many great performances this season. His recent outing against the Boston Celtics was the latest example of his overall improvement.
He has consistently gotten better in each season of his career. He has become much more of an offensive threat and is now capable of scoring at all three levels.
He still has room to grow on the defensive end of the floor, but his size and versatility should allow him to be one of the Hornets’ better perimeter defenders for years to come.
While there maybe trade rumors surrounding McDaniels, the Hornets would be wise to hold onto the emerging swingman at all costs. If Michael Jordan truly cares about the future of this franchise, then he should sign McDaniels to a long term contract extension this offseason. McDaniels is still only 24 years old and he has a lot of basketball left in front of him. He is a potential key player for the Hornets in years to come, and the Hornets should make sure that there is no chance of him performing like this in another city.