The National Basketball Association is 17 days away, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Charlotte Hornets.
Key Acquisitions
The most notable move from a player perspective the Hornets made came on July 6. That is when they acquired shooting guard Josh Green of Sydney, Australia from the Dallas Mavericks in the blockbuster deal that was headlined by Klay Thompson being moved from the Golden State Warriors to Dallas. In all, this was a six-team deal (the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets were also involved) that included five players and seven draft picks. Green, who is set to be a starter in Charlotte, spent the last four seasons with the Mavericks. Last year he averaged 8.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game, along with a field goal percentage of .479, free throw percentage of .684, and three point percentage of .385.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have named Charles Lee of Washington, District of Columbia as their new head coach. Lee has been an assistant coach for the last decade, and was with the reigning NBA Finals champion Boston Celtics this past season.
Fantasy Star
The 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball of Anaheim, California, is ranked eighth among shooting guards and ninth among point guards. This past season, he averaged career-highs in points per game (23.9), and steals per game (1.8). Ball also had eight assists per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, and a field goal percentage of .433, three point percentage of .355, and a free throw percentage of .865.
Projected Finish
The Hornets won 21 games last season, and one should expect much the same as last year. With Ball leading Charlotte, Charlotte appears to be better than the Washington Wizards in the Southeast Division, who are also rebuilding. I am predicting a fourth place finish and no playoff spot for Charlotte.
