The dawn of a new year often serves as a launchpad for self-improvement. New goals are set, fresh opportunities arise, and the slate is wiped clean in preparation for the next 365 days. Whether you loved or hated it, 2023 will soon be in the rearview mirror. Well…most of it, anyway. The 23 losses accumulated by the Charlotte Hornets will continue to loom large throughout the rest of the NBA season. Remember when the Hornets toppled the league-leading Celtics back in November? Yeah, neither do I.
In the spirit of the new year, I’ve compiled a list of crucial problems holding Buzz City back from success. Here are my New Year’s resolutions for the Charlotte Hornets.
Live a healthier life!
One of the primary culprits of the Hornets’ abysmal record is their injury luck. Of the 30 games Charlotte has played this season, not a single player has appeared in more than 27. When sorted by games missed, the Hornets rank as the second-most injured team this season, trailing only the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Charlotte Hornets have played 28 games and are yet to start and finish a game with all of their top 7 players, all of which could be starters.
— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) December 27, 2023
Below is a list of every game and who was missing. This excludes Cody Martin and Frank Ntilikina who arguably would be in the top 9 pic.twitter.com/wOJOljDp2S
The on-court repercussions of the injury bug are displayed nightly. The Hornets have been unable to establish any rhythm or chemistry due to constant lineup changes. They are consistently forced to play their starters 40+ minutes per game to stay competitive. 127 games missed due to injury through December often spells disaster for a team trying to fight for a play-in spot, and that number doesn’t even include the 10 games missed by Miles Bridges due to league suspension. We are over a third of the way through the NBA regular season, and Charlotte has yet to start and finish a game with their top 7 rotational players. If the Hornets want any hope of salvaging this season with a top-10 seed, they’ll have to squash the injury bug and live a healthier life in 2024.
Reorganize the house!
Mediocrity has reigned over the Charlotte Hornets for much of the last decade. Since 2007, the Hornets have drafted between the 8th and 15th pick 12 times. Sure, all-NBA level guys have been selected in that range, but finding a franchise cornerstone in the late lottery is exponentially more difficult. The Hornets have a talented young core with LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller, but their extended timeline for winning doesn’t bode well for seasoned veterans such as Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. It seems like Charlotte is juggling two starkly different priorities - developing their young stars into franchise players while also playing their veterans 35-40 minutes per game in hopes of sneaking into the playoffs.
Spoiler alert: this philosophy seldom works. It’s time to commit the majority of rotation minutes to the younger players and stockpile as many assets as possible in exchange for Hayward, Rozier, and other pieces that won’t be a part of future plans. The overall talent level in the league continues to skyrocket, and Charlotte does not possess the roster to compete at a high level. The majority of people who follow this organization understand that fact - the front office does not. The Hornets need direction, and GM Mitch Kupchak has yet to prove he’s the man for the job.
Year after year, the Hornets enter the season with a win-now mindset but consistently finish a few spots away from the playoffs. As a fan, it’s maddening - and that’s why my second New Year’s resolution is for Charlotte to reorganize the house and clean up the clutter both on the court and in the front office.
Learn a new skill!
My third and final New Year’s resolution for the Charlotte Hornets is to learn a new skill! A couple instantly comes to mind: making threes and playing defense.
The Hornets rank 26th in three-pointers made, 24th in three-pointers attempted, and 20th in three-point percentage at 35.9%. Rookie guard Nick Smith Jr. is the only Hornet with at least 40 3PA shooting above 40% from deep - that’s not great! Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington, two high-usage players, are barely above 30% from downtown - a career-worst for both. On the bright side, the return of LaMelo Ball should open up the court and solve some of these shooting woes. Still, Charlotte’s inability to make shots from behind the arc has proven detrimental, especially in clutch-time scenarios.
Of all 30 teams in the NBA this season, the Charlotte Hornets rank dead-last in defensive rating. To put it in perspective, the Detroit Pistons - losers of 28 consecutive games - rank 26th. The Indiana Pacers, who can’t guard a parked car, sit at 28th. Even the lowly Washington Wizards have a better defensive rating than the Hornets. This is inexcusable. The recent return of Cody Martin and a healthy Mark Williams should alleviate some of these defensive struggles, but don’t expect Charlotte to shoot up the rankings anytime soon.
Successful NBA teams have numerous characteristics in common. Veteran leadership, a clean bill of health, a sharp head coach, a competent front office - the list goes on. However, arguably, the two most important traits a team must possess to succeed in this era of the NBA are the ability to hit threes consistently and a solid defense that can win games even when shots aren’t falling - the Hornets rank near the bottom of the league in both of these categories.
If the Hornets ever want to bring a championship to Charlotte - or even win a playoff series - they must address these two glaring issues. To succeed in 2024, the Charlotte Hornets must live healthier lives, reorganize the house, and learn some new skills. It’s time to follow through on these New Year’s resolutions, make some tough decisions, and move forward in the right direction.