Charlotte Hornets: Buying or selling the Hornets’ playoff chances
Buying or selling the Charlotte Hornets’ playoff chances.
The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the best stories in the Eastern Conference this season. Being looked at as somewhat of an afterthought heading into this year, the Hornets have defied those odds and are currently sitting in the top 8 of the West.
Specifically, the Hornets are 24-22 and are sitting in the fourth spot of the East. They’re only a half-game ahead of the fifth seed New York Knicks but have been quite consistent this season, despite the narrative around them being that they’d eventually fall back to reality.
At this point in the season, with as much success as they’ve enjoyed, the Hornets are here to stay in the top 8 of the Eastern Conference.
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What’s curious about this team is that aren’t relatively great at any one specific thing. And I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing heading into the playoff push. Charlotte is 16th in both offensive and defensive rating, 17th in net rating (-0.6), and just lost the NBA’s likely Rookie of the Year favorite for the season.
What the Hornets do well is that they’re young, exciting, deep, and athletic. That’s very much apparent whenever they take the floor. They might not have their best stuff collectively every night, but when they do they’re a difficult team to beat.
That was very much evident a few nights ago when they went up 30 on the Miami Heat in what felt like a blink of an eye.
It’s tough to predict when, and if, the loss of LaMelo Ball will actually come into play. However, at least for now, the team has done a good job in surviving without their fantastic rookie. In fact, the team is 4-1 since Ball’s injury, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in overtime.
The Hornets are one of the best feel-good stories in the NBA this season and it’s looking more and more like it’s going to continue into the playoffs. Despite the question surrounding this team’s metrics, the Hornets are looking more like a playoff team every day. The loss of LaMelo Ball will hurt, but they’re certainly surviving as of right now.
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How will this magical season end for the Charlotte Hornets? It’s unclear but you have to buy this team as a playoff threat with how they’ve been playing as of late.