Three most important players for the Hornets in 2023-24

The regular season is right around the corner, and with that, there are a few players from whom the Charlotte Hornets need meaningful contributions if they are going to find a way to be a much more exciting team in 2023-24.

1. LaMelo Ball

This can be filed under the most obvious entry of all time, which is precisely why LaMelo Ball appears first here. Ball is the heartbeat of the Hornets and the team will go as he goes, good or bad.

The Hornets are going to need their franchise player to bounce back from an inefficient and injury-shortened 2022-23 season if they are going to achieve any sort of goal they have for the upcoming season. While Ball was able to make a career-high four threes per game last year, it came with a slightly decreased conversion rate (37.6%). Additionally, Ball averaged 3.6 turnovers per game last year, the most in his career.

While it is unfair to put everything on Ball, there is a certain level of responsibility that falls on a team’s best player, and that is a designation that applies to him.