The Charlotte Hornets have been doing okay this season. They are ranked 14th in the Eastern Conference but judging by the Charlotte Hornets odds, no one really thinks they can do better.
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So far, the team has won 15 games but lost 41. That’s a pretty bad stat, and to make it worse, they aren’t far enough down the table to gain first pick in the drafts.
The NBA playoffs are on the cards this year. Instead, our next focus should be on recruitment.
The Hornets' Brief History
The Charlotte Hornets were the 30th team to enter the NBA. They joined in 2004 under a different name – Charlotte Bobcats.
From the get-go, Charlotte had a history of great individual players but a terrible team. Rookie of the year Emeka Okafor was part of the original team as was Gerald Wallace. Despite these big names, the Bobcats finished their first season in last place.
They created a whole new record, losing for 5 seasons in a row.
In 2006, Michael Jordan became a minority owner of the team and pumped money into the franchise. From that boost, they hired Larry Brown, a Hall of Fame coach.
The improvement was instant, and Charlotte finally won a division taking them to the playoffs.
In 2014, the Bobcats changed their name to Hornets, trying to step away from their previous failures – but the same issues have been coming up again and again.
Hortnets' Main Profiles (2023)
LaMelo Ball – Guard
Baller in name, baller in nature. LaMelo has created 23.1 points per game and has an assist-per-game average of 8.0.
Ball was the third overall pick in 2020 and since entering the court in 2021, he has already become a team hero. He was the first Hornet to enter the All-Rookie First team in 16 years, and the first Rookie of the Year winner in 16 years.
Many fans suggest we are currently in the LaMelo Ball era of the Hornets.
We haven’t had such a boost since the 2014 Drafts. In that season the Hornets picked up Noah Vonleg, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, and Jeremy Lin.
By the end of 2015, our stats had improved to 48 wins over 34 losses. This was the biggest win in Franchise history.
In 2016, we were points away from the playoffs, which shows just how intense that boost was.
LaMelo may bring us to the playoffs this year. But so far we might be repeating history.
James Bouknight – Guard
Bouknight has been on the team for 1 year and was picked 11th in the drafts. So far he hasn’t made a real impact having played for 6 minutes maximum in a game.
Every game that Bouknight has played, ended in a loss.
Terry Rozier – Guard
Rozier has also played in 100% losing games. Having been on the team for 7 years, there isn’t really an excuse for these failures. He’s been scoring 21.7 points per game with 5 assists per game too.
Rozier was picked 16th overall in the drafts, showing another high-potential player going to waste.
Nick Richards – Center
The losing streak continues with Richards. His last 5 games have also been major losses.
Mark Williams – Center
Williams is a rookie player but has been consistently brought onto the team mid-game. Williams played for around 17 minutes scoring an average of 7 points per game. That’s roughly 2 points every minute.
Williams is doing very well as a defensive player, as his blocks and steals have slowed down his opponents. The Hornets would do well to re-train Williams into a Guard.
Jalen McDaniels – Forward Center
McDaniels is a dramatic player for the Hornets but his 10.6 points per game haven’t been enough to pull Charlotte out of their losing streak.
Bryce McGowens – Guard
McGowens is a Rookie, but his time on the team has been monumental. Of his 5 latest games 2 of them were wins – a rare sight for this team. These wins correlate with the team’s trust in McGowen’s shots.
Against Huston, McGowen scored 10 points with a 75% Field Goal percentage, a 66.7% 3-Point percentage, and a 66.7% Free Throw percentage. He has similar stats against Atlanta, suggesting McGowens is wasted as a guard.
Dennis Smith Jr. – Guard
Smith is another guard with high field goal percentages, suggesting the Hornets are incorrectly prioritizing guards over forwards.
Theo Maledon – Guard
Maledon is another player who has seen a win in their last 5 games, this time against Oklahoma. Granted, Maledon didn’t add much to the game, but his 4 assists were greatly appreciated.
Cody Martin – Forward
Martin is one of the few real forwards on the Hornets. You might think the team is saving all of their good forwards and not sharing the spotlight, but like everyone else, Martin hasn’t seen many wins.
His average points per game is a measly 5, much worse than many of the guards.
Kelly Oubre Jr. – Forward Guard
Oubre is the exception to the rule. This forward is carrying the team with 20.2 points per game. Of his last 5 games, three of them were wins – that isn’t a coincidence. Injury has reduced his playtime, which in turn has reduced the Hornet’s changes in the season.
Gordon Hayward – Forward
Hayward has an average of 13.4 points per game, but even a claim like that hasn’t led to a recent win.
Also…
The other players on the team include JT Thor, Kai Jones, Mason Plumlee, and P.J. Washington. They are all forwards, but none have achieved more than 3 points per game.
Final Thoughts
The Charlotte Hornets have a reputation that many see as a curse. They are a losing team that grabs hold of great draft players, but doesn’t know what to do with them.
This season doesn’t look any different, as the best player Kelly Oubre Jr. is benched due to injury. Fingers crossed the team turns their luck around, but we wouldn’t bet on it.