The Charlotte Hornets are one of the NBA franchises yearning for more trips to the playoffs. Since their inception in 1988, they have reached that stage 10 times, winning just four series in those appearances.
The good news is that the team could be on a similar trajectory as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Its recent moves seem to mirror those that the favorite to come out on top of the Western Conference this coming season has made in its journey to becoming a contender.
In addition, the front office and coaching staff are committed to developing the Hornets' key players. So, while the fans might have to wait at least one more season before seeing the Purple and Teal take part in the playoffs, their patience might be rewarded with the ability to contend every season consistently.
LeBron James has more career playoff points than the Hornets
A reason Charlotte should look to build the team the right way is that LeBron James has had more success in the postseason than the franchise. One piece of evidence is that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has amassed 8,162 career playoff points. The next on the list of all-time leaders in scoring at that stage is Michael Jordan, who finished with 5,987 points.
In comparison, the Hornets have scored a grand total of 5,853 markers in the playoffs.
Clearly, Charlotte has a lot of catching up to do. It has an advantage in that, in every playoff game, it can score a lot more than James can in a match. However, making it to the postseason has proven too tough for the Hornets, let alone advancing into the deeper rounds. They haven't even made the conference finals once.
Fortunately, James' outlook doesn't look too bright. The Lakers, despite also arguably fielding another superstar in Anthony Davis, don't inspire confidence among many pundits that they could land a top-eight seed in the Western Conference.
Of course, the same can be said about Charlotte, as there is a steep hill to climb for the squad to reach the 2025 playoffs. Perhaps the play-in tournament is a more viable goal. However, the goal of stockpiling draft capital is seemingly more important for now, and missing the playoffs means the Hornets would retain the lottery-protected first-round pick they owe the San Antonio Spurs next year.
If things go right for the organization, it can close the gap with James' record sooner than later.