Tier five: The rebuilding
15. Charlotte Hornets
Last season: 39-43, 9th in Eastern Conference
Notable additions: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington
Notable subtractions: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky
Last season, Charlotte won 39 games and almost snuck into the playoffs thanks largely to the play of Kemba Walker. Now that he’s left Charlotte and signed with the Celtics, it’s hard to find any reason for optimism for this Hornets team.
In Walker and fellow free-agent departure Jeremy Lamb, the Charlotte Hornets have lost their two leading scorers and leaders in win shares last season. Add to them the departure of Frank Kaminsky, another rotation player, and they have lost a large chunk of their roster’s talent.
If they had somewhat replaced that talent they might not be ranked quite so low. But, while they did sign a replacement for Walker, the subtractions well and truly outweigh the additions. While Walker was a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA talent, Terry Rozier is a player who has never started full-time, never shot over 40 percent from the field and never showed more than brief glimpses of a high ceiling.
With Rozier, Nic Batum, Miles Bridges, Cody Zeller, and Willy Hernangomez, the Hornets have a solid NBA second unit. Unfortunately, that could be their starting lineup heading into the season, which doesn’t bode well for their win tally.
With Rozier leading the way and a total lack of star power across the board, it seems like the best-case scenario for the Hornets is a spot just barely ahead of dead last. The worst-case, and most likely, scenario is a season with very few highlights and very few wins, as Rozier learns the ropes of leading a team without much support or assistance.