Swarm and Sting
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Hornets near the bottom of final preseason power ranking

ByJames Mastrucci|
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 29: A detail view of the Charlotte Hornets logo during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 29, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 29: A detail view of the Charlotte Hornets logo during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 29, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Hornets did not impress all that much during the preseason. Charlotte struggled mightily, dropping three of their four preseason contests along the way. With that in mind, it is not exactly a surprise to see the Hornets check in toward the bottom of a power ranking of all 30 teams appearing on NBA.com.

The Hornets are ranked 27th overall on the list, a slight improvement of one spot when compared to the previous edition. Charlotte’s lackluster performance throughout the preseason was noted, particularly how much they were outplayed by the Boston Celtics in their matchup, in addition to their only win coming against a Thunder squad full of backups.

"“The Hornets’ only preseason win came against Oklahoma City, which was without its entire starting lineup. In the closest thing to a real game, they got clobbered by the Celtics on Thursday.”"

It is hard to blame any reasoning used that resulted in Charlotte being placed so low before the season starts. This was an uninspiring unit throughout the preseason that struggled to show any consistency from three-point range and was easily outplayed by a superior Celtics team.

It is not just the results from this preseason that make it easy to understand why they are ranked so low. The Hornets were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season with a very disappointing 27-55 record. While plenty of the blame can be applied to the volume of injuries, the team was not exactly playing at a high level with their best players. At some point, injuries cannot continue to be the only reason that is pointed to as the reason why everything went south last year. The lackluster play from the team is something that must be accounted for.

The reality is that Charlotte is a team that is going to have to prove they are better than being a bottom-tier team. Until that happens, the Hornets are going to continue being among the lowest-ranked groups in the NBA.

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