NBA Mid-Season Grades: Celtics standout; Warriors, Lakers receive failing marks

Charlotte Hornets

After only winning 27 games last season, the Charlotte Hornets are on pace to win even fewer games this year. Considering they added the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, brought back Miles Bridges, and brought back the majority of their team from last season, the hope was that the Hornets would be improved this year. Instead, it seems that the Hornets have taken a bit of a step back through the first half of this season.

The good news for the Hornets is that it seems the front office is finally beginning to sell off some of their veterans. We saw Charlotte take the first step in that direction by trading Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat for a future first-round pick. It'll be interesting to see how many more of these moves we'll continue to see heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.

The Hornets have a talented core and if they continue to make the necessary steps to retool their roster, this is a team that could find themselves back in playoff contention in the next 2-3 years. Sometimes taking a step back is needed before taking one forward. That's what we may be seeing from the Hornets this season.

Grade: D-