This Charlotte Hornets season has been as close to being an all-out disaster without actually being an all-out disaster. At 8-29 with their chances of any version of postseason play pretty much out of the realm of possibilities, it came as a bit of a surprise to see the Hornets receive what can only be considered a generous grade for their performance over the season's first half.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey gave Charlotte a C- in his NBA Report Cards: Grading Every NBA Team Halfway Through 2023-24, but it does have a bit of an asterisk. lt is immediately noted by Bailey that his grade for Charlotte has been impacted by the amount of adversity that the Hornets have experienced so far this season.
"The Charlotte Hornets get a little bit of a pass for all the time LaMelo Ball has missed (plus a handful of other injuries), but they should still be closer to that preseason win projection."Andy Bailey on the Charlotte Hornets
It is understandable why a pass of sorts is being given to Charlotte. However, let's not pretend that the Hornets have been anything close to good with Ball in the lineup. Charlotte is 5-12 with Ball and 3-17 without him. Neither mark is impressive by any means and is a clear indicator of just how bad this team is at the current juncture. If any sort of pass were to be given to the Hornets for their current situation, a lesser grade would seem more appropriate, rather than the C- given here. Not saying a failing grade is necessary, but perhaps a D- is more fitting. Nearly a mark of failure while acknowledging what has played out this season.
Even with everything going wrong in Charlotte for the second straight season, it still seems like the buck is being passed here by Bailey. There is a certain level of accountability that must be taken by those in charge, and giving them a pass for this absolute disaster is simply unacceptable. Hold the people responsible for the roster's poor construction accountable instead of letting it continue to slide. This is the reason why teams like the Hornets get stuck in a cycle of mediocrity.
Sure, not having their best player available to them is going to have a negative impact on the roster, this is not a secret by any means. But seeing every single shortcoming of this roster's depth be exposed on a nightly basis during their current 1-16 slump dating back to mid-December shows how far away this team is from being competitive.