The Charlotte Hornets Futures Odds (BetDSI Sportsbook)
Charlotte Hornets to win the Southeast Division: +400
Charlotte Hornets to win the Eastern Conference: +10000
Charlotte Hornets to win the NBA Championship: +35000
Charlotte Hornets Total Win Prediction: Total 42 (Over -115, Under -115)
The Charlotte Hornets finished the 2016/17 season in the 11th place in the Eastern Conference, with five wins behind the 8th placed Chicago Bulls. Charlotte recorded 36 victories in total but lost the last five matches, and these defeats pretty much sealed their fate. They are the third favorites to win the Southeast Division behind the Wizards and Heat, but the difference between these teams is not big, and it’s going to be an exciting campaign.
The Hornets didn’t make plenty of changes this offseason, but they added Dwight Howard as the big profile reinforcement, and he will definitely improve Charlotte’s chances of getting the playoffs. They kept the core of the team and hadn’t lost not even one key players, so the Hornets can feel quite happy about how this summer developed for them. With Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker still in Charlotte, and now with the addition of Howard, the Hornets can be a tricky opponent to any of their Eastern Conference rivals.
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The 2017/2018 Charlotte Hornets Roster
Arrivals: Dwight Howard, Michael Carter-Williams, Malik Monk, Dwayne Bacon, Isaiah Hicks, Mangok Mathiang, Marcus Paige, Julyan Stone, T.J. Williams.
Departures: Briante Weber, Ramon Sessions, Christian Wood, Brian Roberts.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Malik Monk with the 11th pick overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, and the shooting guard joined from the Kentucky Wildcats. The 19-year-old impressed for Kentucky in his only college season in 2016/17, averaging 19.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, and 2.2 apg in 32.1 mpg. Monk earned the SEC All-Freshman Team, SEC Freshman of the Year, First-team All-SEC, SEC Player of the Year – AP, Jerry West Award, and Consensus second-team All-American honors. Malik is listed as the No. 2 option at the shooting guard position, behind Nic Batum, but ahead of Jeremy Lamb and Dwayne Bacon. Charlotte had another pick in this year’s draft, Frank Jackson, but the 31st pick overall was quickly traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Dwayne Bacon is the player who joined from New Orleans in return for Jackson, and the 22-year-old shooting guard will start his professional career after three years with the Florida State Seminoles. I don’t think he will receive enough playing time, but in case Batum, Monk, or Lamb suffers an injury, Bacon will be the one to step in.
Isaiah Hicks came to Charlotte following his four-year stint with the North Carolina Tar Heels, but the 23-year-old power forward will not get the big opportunity to showcase his abilities in 2017/18. Mangok Mathiang signed a two-way contract with the Hornets and their G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, so the former Louisville Cardinal power forward will spend the campaign in the development league. Marcus Paige also signed a two-way contract, and I don’t expect to see him getting plenty of minutes this season, while T.J. Williams came from the Northeastern Huskies and the point guard is listed as the No. 3 option behind Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams. Julyan Stone returned to the NBA after spending the previous three years in Europe, where he played for the Umana Reyer Venezia and Royal Hali Gaziantep. He will serve as a backup option at the SG position, behind Batum, Monk, Lamb, and Bacon.
Michael Carter-Williams had the worst season of his career in 2016/17, as he struggled with the Chicago Bulls and for playing time after some altercations with coach Fred Hoiberg. The former Milwaukee Buck and Rookie of the Year has the chance to revive his career, and the Hornets seem to be a perfect fit for MCW. Although he is going to be Kemba Walker’s backup, Carter-Williams should receive around 20 minutes per contest and return to double figures in 2017/18.
In one of the biggest moves of the summer, Dwight Howard joined the Hornets in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, who received Miles Plumlee, shooting guard Marco Belinelli, and the 41st pick. Howard spent the previous year with the Hawks, averaging 13.5 ppg, 12.7 rpg, and 1.2 bpg in 29.7 mpg, and the eight-time All-Star will get the starting position in Charlotte, ahead of Cody Zeller and Johnny O’Bryant III. The 31-year-old center still has enough fuel in his tank, and I expect him to be one of the most influential players on the floor, alongside Walker and Batum.
|
PG |
SG | SF | PF |
C |
| Kemba Walker | Nicolas Batum | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Marvin Williams | Dwight Howard |
| Michael Carter-Williams | Malik Monk | Treveon Graham | Frank Kaminsky | Cody Zeller |
| Jeremy Lamb | Johnny Bryant III | |||
| Dwayne Bacon |
Briante Weber was waived by the Hornets this July and signed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in August, and the 24-year-old point guard didn’t make an impact while in Charlotte, so he will definitely not be missed. That also can be said for a power forward Christian Wood who became a free agent this summer after appearing in only 13 matches for the Hornets and failing to leave a positive impression, so Charlotte declined to exercise his team option on the 21-year-old. Brian Roberts played in 71 games for Charlotte in the previous year and a half, but the point guard’s services weren’t required any longer, so he became an unrestricted free agent. Ramon Sessions did a pretty decent job as Kemba Walker’s backup in 2016/17, but the 31-year-old point guard decided t move on and sign a contract with the New York Knicks. Sessions is entering his 11th season in the NBA, and the Knicks will be his ninth team.
So, the Hornets didn’t lose any important players but added Howard and Carter-Williams who will surely play big roles in 2017/18, especially the “Superman”. The starting lineup with Walker, Batum, Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams, and Howard looks pretty good, while Kaminsky, Monk, Lamb, MCW, and Zeller, can contribute off the bench. This team can do great things this year, and I think they are ready to return to the playoffs, while Kemba Walker and Nic Batum should have a fantastic season as one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference. Walker impressed in his sixth year in the NBA in 2016/17, averaging 23.2 ppg (career high), 5.5 apg, 3.9 rpg, and 1.1 spg in 34.7, the numbers that secured him an All-Star game invitation for the first time in his career. Kemba only missed two games, and if he manages to stay healthy in 2017/18, the Hornets will be good contenders for the Southeast Division title. Batum averaged 15.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.9 apg, and 1.1 spg in 34.0 mpg, and one of the most versatile players in the league should continue with great performances in 2017/18. T
he Frenchman led the team in assists and steals and finished as the second top scorer, so his influence in Charlotte cannot be underestimated. Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist averaged around 20 points per contest combined and around 14 rebounds per game, and they will continue to be quite helpful in 2017/18 as well. This starting lineup can achieve great results if they stay healthy, so my suggestion is to keep en eye on the Hornets this season as the dark horse of the Eastern Conference.
The Bottom Line and Total Win Prediction
Not only that the Hornets have a quite talented starting lineup, but they also have a solid bench, and we all know that without quality on the bench teams cannot be taken seriously. Charlotte may not win the Southeast Division, but they should easily surpass the last year’s number of victories, and the bookies think so as well, as the BetDSI Sportsbook set the number of seasons wins at 42. I believe they can record around 45 wins, which would likely get them to the fifth or sixth place in the Eastern Conference. For example, last year, the Atlanta Hawks ended the regular season with 43 wins, and that was enough for the fifth position. The Hornets are looking stronger this time around, and I am suggesting you go with over on this one. With the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic who will clearly be out of the playoff picture, the Hornets will battle the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat for the Southeast Division title.
Season total wins: 42 Over (-115)
