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.
2. Three-Point Shooting
The Charlotte Hornets were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league last season. Making only 10.7 threes per game, this was tied for the third-fewest in the NBA last season. Considering how important the three-ball has become to the modern game, there was not a scenario where this type of output would result in success for any team.
It would be one thing if Charlotte was near the bottom of three-point attempts per game, but their 32.5 ranked 18th in the league last year. However, their 33% conversion rate from deep was only better than the 32.7% of the Houston Rockets in 2022-23.
Even though it seems like there is not a lot of hope for the Hornets in 2023-24, that would be inaccurate. As mentioned in the previous slide, health played a major factor for the Hornets last year. Considering the limitations of LaMelo Ball, along with other supporting members missing time, that leads to players taking on larger roles offensively and taking shots they probably should not be attempting. Take a healthier roster and add in the near 3 made threes per game from Brandon Miller at the college level in addition to Miles Bridges three-point average of just under 2 per game in his last two years, and the Hornets should be able to covert more often from deep this season.
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.