After a disastrous 2022-23 season which saw the Charlotte Hornets stumble to a 27-55 record and end up with the second overall pick in the draft, the expectation is that they will bounce back in a big way. For that to happen they are going to need major contributions from quite a few players. But it is three in particular that will immediately impact the future of the Hornets organization.
LaMelo Ball
Getting the obvious choice out of the way first, it is LaMelo Ball. Ball is by far the best player on the Hornets and his offensive prowess is more than capable of making even the most talent-devoid teams competitive more often than not.
There were struggles for Ball in his third season of the league. Injuries combined with overall inefficiency were the story last season. It is a widely accepted fact that Ball can play better than what he did last season and a healthy supporting cast around him could make that a reality.
It is about the short and long-term outlook of the franchise when it comes to Ball. A bounce-back season, as predicted by one analyst, would make the front office and coaching staff sleep a little better at night considering his massive contract extension kicks in starting next season.