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.
2. Jettison Veterans
When evaluating the competitive timeline of the Charlotte Hornets, they are a few years away from being a few years away. This means the decision-makers in Charlotte should have their eyes focused on the future, specifically meaning that exploring possible trade options for the few veterans on their roster must be near the top of their priorities list.
It is hard to imagine a scenario where Gordon Hayward remains in Charlotte for this entire season. Trade rumors involving Hayward have been a recurring theme for some time now. These will only grow in volume and frequency as the Hornets continue to be an Eastern Conference bottom feeder.
Another option who could, and probably should be a more prominent name mentioned as someone who may be on the move is Terry Rozier. Rozier is a fine player and could help a contending team in a supporting role. The problem in Charlotte is that they do not have enough talent that is established on the roster, leading to Rozier having much more on his plate than he probably should.
It will only be a matter of time before the Hornets are too far back to compete for anything of substance this season, which will only make the case to trade the small group of veterans on their roster stronger. It will be up to the front office to do the right thing, which is far from a guarantee.
3. Raise Roster Floor
The one consistent problem for perpetually irrelevant teams is the lack of a solid roster foundation. To be specific, their talent floor.
Teams like the Hornets can have their fair share of average to above-average players on their roster, but if there is a massive gap between the top and bottom-end talent, they will usually struggle to do much of anything and ultimately remain an afterthought when it comes to competitiveness. This is the situation that Charlotte finds themselves in currently.
While the Hornets starting lineup features the immensely talented LaMelo Ball, there is a noticeable dropoff in the abilities of the rest of this group. This only becomes more noticeable when going beyond the starting lineup and evaluating the state of Charlotte’s bench unit. This is a major issue that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
This is about understanding the value of having a high roster floor. Being able to have a solid baseline that can be counted on more times than not will ultimately lead to more success in Charlotte. The Hornets’ current roster floor is not nearly high enough and will continue to limit their ability to grow as an organization until it is addressed.
4. Patience
This is not something anyone wants to hear, but it is an absolutely essential part of building a team properly around the face of their franchise. It is going to take time to properly surround LaMelo Ball with the right players, with some level of trial and error being a prominent part of that process.
It is beyond crucial to understand the timeline at which this must be done, not just in general but for a team like the Hornets. There is a proper way to build a team and that way takes time. Quick fixes and attempts to fast forward this process routinely lead to minimal benefits in the long run. More often than not, teams will have to undo the moves they made and go back to square one with not much of anything to show for it.
The Hornets must understand the limitations they have as an organization and realize they are not a team that can spend their way out of bad decisions. Proper roster construction using a risk-averse approach that is necessary for Charlotte takes time, but it will be worth the wait as it can result in heights that they may not reach otherwise.