Are the Charlotte Hornets an unwatchable team?
NBA teams generally fall into one of two categories. Watchable and unwatchable. But which category do the Charlotte Hornets belong in? According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, they are in the group of unwatchable teams. This comes from Swartz’s prediction of which teams will be the most and least watchable in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Charlotte is considered the number three unwatchable team. The only teams considered to be less watchable are the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. This is not exactly good company to be in.
The Hornets are looking to put the disastrous 2022-23 campaign behind them and prove that they are better than what they showed last season. The problem? They may not be capable of that.
This is a Hornets team with their success or failure tied to one player, LaMelo Ball. Ball is an incredibly dynamic player, but health has not been his friend during his short time in the league. Injuries have already become a recurring theme, and if that continues, it could make it quite difficult to escape the basement of the Eastern Conference. This would be in addition to being unwatchable.
Charlotte’s supporting cast is not doing them any favors either. After Ball, there are a couple of veterans who can contribute, but they are not without their flaws. Additionally, some of the younger players of that group have been underwhelming, have been waived, or holding on to an NBA roster spot by a thread.
"“Terry Rozier is a shoot-first guard who misses a lot of shots (41.5 percent overall last season, 32.7 percent from three), Gordon Hayward will turn 34 this season and James Bouknight (5.1 points per game, 35.3 percent shooting overall in his first two years) can safely be labeled as bust by now. Kai Jones, one of the highest-ranked players on the roster in terms of entertainment value, has been waived. Miles Bridges, who deserves to have been let go by the franchise on multiple occasions, somehow remains.”"
There is a very real possibility that Charlotte could move Gordon Hayward during the season. In fact, it’s expected. A chance also exists for the Hornets to move Terry Rozier if the right offer comes their way. Even though this would point in the direction of another down year, it could actually be beneficial to the younger players on their roster so they can develop properly.
As far as being unwatchable is concerned, there is a good chance that happens. Should that end up being the case, it would be about laying the foundation for the future of the franchise and strengthening their long-term outlook.
