Expert’s win projection for Hornets for 2023-24 is perplexing
The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a tough season that saw pretty much nothing go their way. From injuries to key players and overall poor performance, Charlotte stumbled to a 27-55 record in the first year of the second Steve Clifford era. But with the likely possibility that the pendulum that swung against them last year reversing course to be in their favor, one would think that Hornets would be projected to exceed a rather low win/loss projection. But think again.
While The Athletic’s Zach Harper does believe that “There should be enough talent to get them four more wins than last season.”, he is still skeptical of their chances of exceeding 30.5 wins this season.
"“I’m still taking the under. The Hornets don’t inspire a ton of belief and seem poised for another tough year, extending their playoff drought to a franchise-worst eight seasons”"
This is an interesting conclusion to come to, considering that it is unlikely for the Hornets to be picked off one-by-one again like Mr. Burns’ ringers in The Simpsons’ episode Homer at the Bat. In fact, it is more likely that Charlotte’s luck would be the complete polar opposite, not just from an injury perspective but also performance.
There is another to consider. Charlotte was able to agree to new deals with Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington. Their returns should help take some of the workload off of star point guard LaMelo Ball. Additionally, they should be able to get solid contributions from veteran forward Gordon Hayward, as he is looking to have a healthy and productive campaign in the final year of his contract.
Is it possible that the Hornets do not have a good season in 2023-24? Sure, but betting on that may not be the best move. It is incredibly difficult to envision a scenario that repeats or is similar to that of last year, and may be best to expect 31 or more wins in Charlotte, considering how low of total that really is.
