The 2022-23 NBA season did not go to plan for the Charlotte Hornets in more ways than one. This was a Hornets team coming off their best season since the first Steve Clifford era in Charlotte at 43-39, and they were poised to take that next step forward. The next step was more of a stumble as they finished with a disappointing 27-55 record and ended up with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. The Hornets should be in a position to avoid a repeat of last year as long as they can improve in these three areas.
1. Health
This was the obvious one, so it warranted being mentioned first. Staying healthy. The Hornets saw more than a few players miss more than their fair share of games last season. Star point guard LaMelo Ball was limited to just 36 games. Without Ball, this was a team without a player capable of playing at a superstar level, leaving the rest of the team as an afterthought at best.
It did not stop with Ball. Gordon Hayward (32), Kelly Oubre Jr. (34), and Terry Rozier (19) were also players who missed time. Even if Ball was available, the deterioration of the supporting cast would have made it nearly impossible to avoid having such a disastrous season. Having more key players available to them should lead to better results for the Hornets next season, and this plays into the next two areas.