There should be a point in the near future that has the Charlotte Hornets being a contending team, with LaMelo Ball leading the charge. But in order to get there, there are a handful of necessary steps that must be taken first.
1. Improved shooting from beyond the arc
Three-point shooting is not a strength for the Charlotte Hornets. In fact, they are the worst team from three-point range this season by multiple metrics.
Entering Sunday, Charlotte’s 8.4 three-point makes, 28.3 attempts, and 29.6% conversion rate all rank dead last in the NBA. This is simply unacceptable for a team that has any aspirations of resembling something of a competitive organization.
The problem for the Hornets is that they have taken a step back in this area from last year to begin this season. Although going from one of the worst to the worst is not a particularly large freefall, it is far from an encouraging sign for the future of this organization.
If the Hornets are ever going to climb out of the basement of the Eastern Conference, they must make aggressive moves to improve their effectiveness from deep. If not, things could fall apart before they even get a chance to get going.