Charlotte Hornets still expected to be Eastern Conference bottom feeder
The Eastern Conference was rocked by the blockbuster trade that sent Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks. There has been and will continue to be a ripple effect from this move. So much so that the entire Eastern Conference needed to be re-seeded. But where do the Charlotte Hornets sit in this re-seeding? Still towards the bottom, according to Michael Saenz of Sir Charles in Charge.
Coming in at 13th in the East is Charlotte. Uncertainty about exactly what the Hornets are continues to be a recurring theme, as nobody seems to be sure about how things will transpire this season. Last year’s disastrous season went by the wayside due to injuries and a team that lacked quality talent beyond the top end of their roster.
"“Even though I’m not exactly sure what to expect from the Charlotte Hornets heading into the start of the season, there are some certainties that we can expect. For one, the Hornets should be healthier this season. And that means that they should, in turn, be better. The big question is how much better this team will be.”"
That last part, about the amount of improvement that will be seen in Charlotte, remains a popular talking point, and for good reason. This is a team that could go in either direction this year, with the most common projections being that of a lottery team. Saenz does note that “…this is a team that has more established talent than most believe,“, and while true, there are some yeah, buts involved.
LaMelo Ball is a star point guard but has had trouble staying on the court in his brief career. Miles Bridges was a player on a trajectory toward being a star in this league, but he has not been in an actual game since April 10, 2022. Gordon Hayward has the capability of being a solid contributor, but injuries have limited his impact over the last handful of seasons. Mark Williams was impressive during the latter part of his rookie season, but whether or not he can carry that over into this upcoming season is a question that nobody can answer with 100% certainty.
Is there a world where the Charlotte Hornets can be a more competitive team than most expect this season? Absolutely. But there is also a scenario that sees the Hornets continue to struggle, resulting in trading veteran players during the season and ultimately ending up as a lottery team.
