As one of the youngest teams in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets have their work cut out for them this offseaon to turn themselves into a playoff contender in 2025. They went 21-61 in the 2023-24 season, which was tied for the third worst in the Association. Injuries played a major part in how the season went, but that wasn’t the only problem. Let’s dive into what they need to do to fix those issues and ascend into those top eight teams to make the postseason.
Get a consistent depth
Injuries tend to be unavoidable, so it’s best to have a contingency plan in place for when they do happen. Or plans rather. More specifically at point guard and center for the Hornets. LaMelo Ball appeared in a career-low 22 games and Mark Williams only played in 19. Getting guys that can hold down the fort at those positions will be crucial. Not just to ensure there are enough bodies to have out in case they’re missing, but also to ease some pressure off of them so they’re fresh for clutch time.
They don’t have to all do the same things either. Maybe invest in a stretch five-man or a defensive-minded point guard to run the show. Gather pieces that will complement the talent that will be on the floor predominately. If one of the starters is sidelined for an extended period of time, that depth might just save them from falling too far down the standings.
Push the pace
A season ago, the Hornets were the third youngest team in the NBA with an average age of 24.28. Yet they were 2nd to last in transition points. A team that young should be looking to capitalize off of their youth and attack mismatches that those opportunities create. Instead, they played too slow and out of inefficient half-court sets.
With Charles Lee running the show as head coach now, surely he’ll notice that and look to take advantage of the youth on the roster. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have both excelled when the game is moving a little bit faster. With those guys being the faces of the franchise, it should be a fun brand of basketball if they play to their strengths.
A strong veteran presence that will be a key contributor
It helps to have guys around who have been through the rigors of an NBA season a few different times. For a team like Charlotte though, having a key veteran actually playing big-time minutes as a starter or even off the bench would be huge. Someone that the young guys respect and could look to as if they were an extension of a coach on the floor. Sure, we use that term a lot when talking about point guards, but it applies to just good, smart players in general.
The Udonis Haslem role was a wonderful luxury for the Miami Heat to have, but having someone who can still contribute on the floor would be more beneficial for this young team in Charlotte.
Charlotte hasn’t competed in postseason play since 2017. In order to break the longest active playoff drought, these things have to happen. Of course, it all starts with the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s see how the pieces fall this summer.
