THE Charlotte Hornets haven’t made the playoffs since 2016 and know any chance of ending their eight-year playoff drought depends on the health of the All-Star point guard. LaMelo Ball.
Ball has played just 22 times in 2023/24 after an ankle injury ended his season prematurely for the second year in a row. The Hornets hopes the Ball curse can be avoided in the upcoming season, with LaMelo’s brother, Lonzo Ballinjured most often for Eastern Conference rivals, The Chicago Bulls.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Charlotte, which will integrate the sixth pick in the 2024 NBA draft, power forward Tidjane Salauna 19 year old young man from France.
Hornets aim for playoffs
New head coach Charles Lee is tasked with ending the franchise’s long wait for a playoff spot after 27 and 21 winning years under Steve Cliffordwho replaced James Borrego in 2022 after two failed play-in trips.
Lee joins the team after a year as Joe Mazzulla best assistant coach, helping the Boston Celtics win the championship. He also worked with the Atlanta Hawks And Milwaukee Buckswinning his first token with the latter in 2021.
The upcoming season will be Lee’s first as an NBA head coach. He hopes the crucial experience he gained working with Mazzulla and Mike Budenholzer bears fruit at the Spectrum Center.
As already noted, Lee’s priority will be to keep Ball healthy and bring out the best in him.
The 2021 Rookie of the Year will play with ankle braces for the first time in his career and will likely be joined in the backfield by a sophomore. Brandon Miller – who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting earlier this year. Miller played 74 games in 23/24, averaging 17.3 points per game in just over 32 minutes per night.
Miles Bridges will likely start at winger, with Lee to choose between Grant Williams and rookie Salaun in fourth place. His health depends, Mark Williams will be the Hornets’ pivot in 24/25, however Nick Richards is there as a backup.
Lee should have a solid starting five and a playoff spot is certainly possible. However, if LaMelo’s season is hampered again by his ankles, he could lose any hope of a playoff spot.
Lots of room for improvement
Lee has his work cut out for him. The Hornets were disappointing on both ends of the floor last year, averaging 106.6 points per game. Portland Trail Blazers (106.4) and Memphis Grizzlies (105.8) were worse.
Their rebounding stats also leave something to be desired, with 31 defensive rebounds and 9.3 offensive rebounds per game. The Hornets have pulled down 40.3 rebounds per game, which is the worst in the NBA in that statistic.
A defensive rating of 119.2 also makes for a bleak reading. Only the Utah Jazz were worse than that (119.6).
Ball’s return will certainly help on offense, but defensively the Hornets should still leave a lot to be desired.
As a lottery pick, Salaun is a high-stakes prospect, but he won’t be a game-changer for Charlotte overnight. He lacked physicality last season, and the 19-year-old isn’t going to bring that in abundance. He’s still terribly young and will need time to adjust to the league. Regardless, Ball has the ability to lead this team to at least the play-in, which is why his availability is so crucial.
Miller’s improvement throughout his first year brings a lot of hope. Overall, this is a team that should be fun to watch. That’s probably the best you can get… while having fun.
First, the Hornets need to get Ball on the court regularly, and it’s up to new head coach Lee to nurture the young talent he has at his disposal. Charlotte is expected to be under .500, but a first playoff appearance since 2016 shouldn’t be out of the question.
The Hornets begin their preseason schedule against the New York Knicks October 6 and their NBA campaign begins in Texas against the Houston Rockets the 24th.
