The Charlotte professional basketball team is back to being the Hornets after several years as the Bobcats. This team made the playoffs last season and expects to be back there this season.
What Went Wrong Last Season?
The Bobcats finished near the very bottom of the NBA in the 2012-2013 season, so as the 2013-2014 season began, expectations were kept in check. The playoffs were a possibility, but not a likelihood. Coach Steve Clifford figured to face a season in which improvements could be made, but not to the point that the team went from the bottom of the barrel to a playoff position. Yet, that’s what the Bobcats (now Hornets) managed to do. Clifford got great play from his foremost stars, Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, but he really did his best work by getting role players to come together and form a cohesive team. Charlotte prevailed enough to win in spite of a lot of problems. The team battled so well on defense, allowing just 97.1 points per game, fourth-best in the league. Charlotte was number one in the NBA in turnovers, and more specifically, it was second in the league in terms of the number of steals it allowed to opponents. In other words, Charlotte didn’t give away possessions, but especially in terms of live-ball turnovers. A pass thrown out of bounds is a dead-ball turnover, but an opponent can’t get out and run a fast break after a dead ball. A steal, on the other hand, is a live-ball turnover, and those are the mistakes that lead to easy baskets the other way. Charlotte just did not give up those kinds of plays very often. That and the team’s defense enabled the Bobcats (now Hornets) to find a way to win a lot of close games.
It’s not a miracle, but it was improbable, that Charlotte did get to the playoffs last season, because so much did go wrong for this team. This was a bad offensive season for Charlotte. The Hornets, in their previous incarnation in 2013-2014, averaged 96.9 points per game, 23rd in the league. The team was 23rd or worse in three-point shots made, threes attempted, and three-point shooting percentage. Charlotte finished at 24 out of the league’s 30 teams in free throw shooting percentage. The team was 25th in offensive rebounding. There was so little this team did well on offense, and that has to be addressed in the coming season.
Offseason Changes
The really big change in Charlotte is the addition of Lance Stephenson from the Indiana Pacers. Stephenson should help the Hornets in so many of the categories mentioned above. Stephenson has a good handle, noticeable quickness, upper-body strength, and a general ability to get to the rim. His skill level will boost Charlotte’s offense and provide a one-on-one player who will spread the floor and enable Kemba Walker to do a lot more with the ball. Stephenson is a hot-and-cold player who needs to watch his shot selection. As long as he makes solid plays and tries to get teammates involved at least some of the time, Charlotte should clearly benefit from his presence.
Projected Finish
The Bobcats might have been at risk of missing the playoffs this season, but Stephenson’s arrival should definitely prevent that from happening. It’s hard, however, to see this team getting out of the first round of the playoffs. Charlotte needs another interior threat along with Al Jefferson.
Pick: Seventh In The Eastern Conference
