9. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are one of the few teams on the list with an all-star last season. A bounce-back season from Nicolas Batum might be all the Hornets need to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Sadly, it seems Batum may never regain the efficiency or defense that made him so vital in Portland.
His impact on the team was arguably not as important as his numbers would suggest, but their second leading contributor last season, Dwight Howard, is now gone. He didn’t go far though, remaining in the Southeast division and joining the Washington Wizards.
Charlotte has no cap space to make a meaningful signing, so unless rookie Miles Bridges puts up similar numbers to his time at Michigan State, Kemba Walker will likely once again put up all-star numbers on a lottery bound team.