3. Defense
More often than not, opponents of the Charlotte Hornets enjoyed themselves in the scoring department. Charlotte allowed 117.2 points per game last season, the ninth-most in the league. That high amount, combined with the Hornets’ fourth-lowest scoring average last season (111), was not a recipe for success.
The 12.2 three-pointers allowed were right in the middle of the pack, but the 43 made field goals were the eighth-most in the NBA last season. Opponents did not need to cushion their lead with made threes as it was unlikely that an injury-riddled Hornets team was going to do much of anything to cut into it. It was about making just enough baskets against Charlotte to not worry about the final result being in question.
Like the three-point slide that preceded this, health will be a major factor. When a starting and bench rotation is constantly being shuffled, it is hard to develop chemistry and have adequate communication on the floor. More time on the court from the starters and key role players for the Hornets should lead to better results defensively in Charlotte.
It must be mentioned that LaMelo Ball is far from a lockdown defender. Even the slightest improvement from him will go a long way. Although, the improvement on the defensive end of the court will more than likely come down to the other four on the floor with Ball. The pieces are in place for the Hornets to be better defensively, they just have to go out and do it.