3 Ds the Hornets will look to focus on this season and beyond
By Orel Dizon
3. Draft
No one among the Charlotte Hornets on media day explicitly stated that the team will make sure to retain its lottery-protected first-round pick in the potentially loaded 2025 NBA Draft.
In fact, some players said that making the playoffs would be nice. Among those who alluded to — or specifically mentioned — that as one of the squad's goalposts were Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and Seth Curry.
However, even if the roster is filled with potential stars and promising prospects, we have to admit that it is still lacking compared to other Eastern Conference powerhouses. Of course, watching the squad participate in the playoffs would be a long time coming. But do you know what's better? Seeing the Hornets compete for the conference crown year in and year out.
As Jeff Peterson said, the dream is to "be a consistent, relevant contender." However, the executive also added, "You don't do that overnight." And again, Charles Lee emphasized that building habits and player development will be significant focal points in the 2024-25 campaign.
The past years have shown that patience is one of the necessary steps to creating a true contender in Charlotte. Missing out on the playoffs one more time to bring in another piece, like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, or VJ Edgecombe, who can raise the Hornets' floor and ceiling sounds like a worthy trade-off.
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