Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the Charlotte Hornets – a team who just missed out on the playoffs last season.
Introduction
The Charlotte Hornets franchise hit rock bottom at the end of the 2011-12 season. They were once a team with playoff aspirations, thanks to the likes of Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson and Tyson Chandler. But after a multitude of trades, the team would win 10.6% of games in 2012, finishing with a 7-59 record.
Despite the historically poor season, their 9th overall selection of Kemba Walker showed signs of potential to be a franchise player for the Hornets. Under new head coach Steve Clifford, the Hornets started to build around Walker, embracing the defensive side of the ball. The drafting of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (3rd overall, 2011 draft) and Cody Zeller (4th overall, 2012 draft), as well as the signing of Al Jefferson helped the Hornets reach the playoffs in 2014. Despite getting swept by the Heat, the signs were promising for this Hornets franchise.
The Hornets were able to return back to the playoffs in 2016, with Walker becoming an established All-Star. Coupled with Jefferson and Kidd-Gilchrist, as well as new acquisitions Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum, this squad led the Hornets to a 48-34 record and a 6th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference. They faced the Miami Heat once again, but unlike last time, the Hornets were very competitive, taking the series to 7 games. Ultimately, they couldn’t keep up with a supremely talented Heat squad, losing Game 7 by 33 points and relinquishing the series.
2016 was the last time the Hornets have played playoff basketball. They were always just outside of the playoffs looking in, finishing 11th, 10th and 9th in three consecutive seasons. After another missed playoffs in 2019, Kemba Walker decided to move onto the Boston Celtics, completing a sign-and-trade which involved Terry Rozier. This deal ultimately left a Hornets team ready-built for playoff success, without a franchise guy to lead the way. As a result, the Hornets finished the shortened 2020 season with a 23-42 record, 9th again in the Eastern Conference, but the 11th worst record in the NBA.
The Hornets would have some insane lottery luck at the 2020 draft, rising from the 11th best odds to the 3rd pick, selecting LaMelo Ball. He became an instant hit in Charlotte, with his high basketball IQ and mesmerising passing. The team went out and brought in Gordon Hayward to combine with Ball, Rozier and Miles Bridges, getting the Hornets back on the outskirts of the playoffs, finishing as the 10th seed with a 33-39 record in 2021. They lost their play-in tournament game to the 9th seeded Indiana Pacers.
Last Season
Looking to progress another step forward, the Hornets retooled prior to the 2022 season. Using the 11th pick, they brought in sharpshooter James Bouknight, as well as drafting Centre prospect, Kai Jones with the 19th pick. In free agency, they signed Ish Smith and Kelly Oubre Jr, as well as dealt Devonte’ Graham to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Hornets held true to form, keeping their record around .500 and getting midway through the season with a 22-19 record. Sensing that they were in the mix for a playoff spot, the Hornets went out and brought in Montrezl Harrell in a trade with the Washington Wizards, giving the team a former 6th Man of the Year and a big man that they could close games with.
The move didn’t work out as well as many in the organisation had hoped. The team went 2-11 in a 13-game stretch in February, pushing the team back to 10th in the Eastern Conference. This was where they ultimately finished, with a 43-39 record and an opportunity to participate in the play-in tournament against the 9th-seeded Atlanta Hawks. However, they couldn’t stop Trae Young, losing the game by 19 and getting knocked out of the playoffs. The Hornets finished last season top 10 offensively (8th overall), but also bottom 10 defensively (22nd overall).
Off-Season
Ins:
Mark Williams (15th overall, NBA draft)
Bryce McGowens (40th overall, NBA draft)
Outs:
Montrezl Harrell (free agency, moved to Philadelphia 76ers)
Miles Bridges (free agency)
Isaiah Thomas (free agency)
It was a very minimal off-season for the Hornets, the only players they added to this roster were guys they brought in from the draft. With the 15th pick, the Hornets selected Mark Williams – a Centre who the franchise hopes will be the long-term solution to their big man issues. They also selected Bryce McGowens with their 40th pick. A lot of the Hornets transactions involved re-signing players like Cody Martin (4 yr/$31.4m) and guaranteeing Kelly Oubre Jr and Mason Plumlee’s contracts for next season.
Miles Bridges got himself into a lot of trouble over the off-season, ruining his reputation and hurting a lot of people. We don’t know what will happen, but at this moment, Bridges NBA career is over. Montrezl Harrell signed to be the back-up Centre to Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, while Isaiah Thomas was left unsigned.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – LaMelo Ball
| H: 6’7″ | W: 180lbs | Age: 21 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$19.5m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
18.3 pts, 6.4 reb, 7.0 asts, 1.6 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.1 to, 43.1%/37.8%/82.6%, 30.9 mins
Averages Last Season:
20.1 pts, 6.7 reb, 7.6 asts, 1.6 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.3 to, 42.9%/38.9%/87.2%, 32.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
19.4 pts, 6.7 reb, 7.3 asts, 1.6 stls, 0.4 blks, 3.0 to, 44.6%/39.5%/84.8%
LaMelo Ball is one of the most polarising young prospects in the NBA. He’s a tall PG that is capable of getting past defenders using his ball-handling. What sets him apart is his ability to read opposing defences, showing last season an improved ability to find the open man in pick-and-roll sets. This, and the star power he brings, helped him to be Rookie of the Year and be selected to his first All-Star Game last season.
SG – Terry Rozier
| H: 6’1″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 28 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$96.2m | Years Pro: 7 |
Career Averages:
12.7 pts, 3.9 reb, 3.2 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.2 to, 41.7%/37.6%/82.2%, 26.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
19.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.5 asts, 1.3 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.3 to, 44.4%/37.4%/85.2%, 33.7 mins
2022-23 Projections:
18.0 pts, 4.1 reb, 4.0 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.5 to, 44.4%/38.1%/84.0%
After spending his first four seasons in a bench role with the Boston Celtics, Terry Rozier has embraced being a starter with the Hornets. He’s played as a go-to scorer and secondary playmaker, having the capacity to space the floor and shoot from downtown at an above-average level, while using his quickness to put opposing defences on edge when ball-handling and creating for his teammates.
SF - Gordon Hayward
| H: 6’7″ | W: 225lbs | Age: 32 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$61.6m | Years Pro: 12 |
Career Averages:
15.6 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.5 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.0 to, 45.3%/37.1%/82.6%, 31.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
15.9 pts, 4.6 reb, 3.6 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.7 to, 45.9%/39.1%/84.6%, 31.9 mins
2022-23 Projections:
16.2 pts, 5.0 reb, 3.2 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.8 to, 46.3%/39.0%/83.9%
Once upon a time, Gordon Hayward was an All-Star and key contributor to a good Utah Jazz squad. Since his move to Boston five seasons ago, he has struggled to stay on the court due to injury. Particularly in the past three seasons, where he has averaged 48.5 games a season with the Celtics and now the Hornets. He isn’t the go-to scorer he once was, but the Hornets hope that he can be a great glue guy on the wing – someone who can shoot regularly from 3-point range and space the floor for LaMelo and Rozier to go to work.
PF - PJ Washington Jr.
| H: 6’7″ | W: 230lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$5.8m (RC) | Years Pro: 3 |
Career Averages:
11.8 pts, 5.7 reb, 2.3 asts, 0.9 stls, 1.0 blks, 1.6 to, 45.4%/37.5%/70.2%, 29.3 mins
Averages Last Season:
10.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 2.3 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.9 blks, 1.3 to, 47.0%/36.5%/71.6%, 27.2 mins
2022-23 Projections:
11.5 pts, 5.7 reb, 2.4 asts, 0.9 stls, 1.0 blks, 1.5 to, 46.6%/37.9%/73.0%
PJ Washington began his career as the starting PF of the Hornets. But last season, lost his starting job to Miles Bridges, resulting in him transitioning into a backup PF/C role. He plays an important role, being a big body that can stretch the floor and play solid interior defence. With Bridges no longer on the roster, Washington will slot back into the starting line-up.
C - Mason Plumlee
| H: 6’11” | W: 254lbs | Age: 32 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$8.5m | Years Pro: 9 |
Career Averages:
8.3 pts, 6.6 reb, 2.4 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.9 blks, 1.5 to, 58.4%/4.9%/55.7%, 22.3 mins
Averages Last Season:
6.5 pts, 7.7 reb, 3.1 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.7 blks, 1.4 to, 64.1%/0.0%/39.2%, 24.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
7.4 pts, 7.3 reb, 3.0 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.7 blks, 1.4 to, 60.9%/0.0%/50.0%
Mason Plumlee is as serviceable of a starting Centre as they come. He is unique in that he is capable of playmaking in half-court sets, often being the main facilitator during stints coming off the bench for previous teams. Plumlee has always been a reliable rebounder, and shot as efficiently as ever from the field. We can’t say the same thing about his free throws, shooting a ghastly 39.2% last season (down from 66.9% the season prior).
Backups
G - Cody Martin
| H: 6’5″ | W: 205lbs | Age: 27 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$31.4m | Years Pro: 4 |
A former 2nd round pick in 2019, Cody Martin broke out last season. He was a reliable contributor coming off the bench, especially during a season affected by COVID. His shooting splits improved out of sight (44.1% vs 48.2% from the field, 27.6% vs 38.4% from 3-point range), while he was a trusted perimeter defender. He was rewarded with a 4-year contract in the off-season.
G - James Bouknight
| H: 6’5″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$15.1m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
James Bouknight was used sparingly throughout his rookie season. One of the best 3-point marksmen in his draft class, Bouknight predominantly played in the G-League last season, to build up other aspects of his game. The Hornets hope that he can be a key contributor to a Hornets bench unit this season.
F - Kelly Oubre Jr.
| H: 6’7″ | W: 203lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$12.6m | Years Pro: 7 |
Kelly Oubre Jr arrived in Charlotte at the beginning of last season. He’s shown throughout his career to be a starting calibre scoring wing, who can be a strong defensive presence on the perimeter. What’s held him back is an inability to shoot consistently from 3-point range (33.1% for his career). Oubre played as a 6th man for the Hornets, occasionally starting and usually finishing games on the court.
F - Jalen McDaniels
| H: 6’9″ | W: 205lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.9m | Years Pro: 3 |
Jalen McDaniels has been a development project for the Hornets. Standing 6’9” with a wingspan of 7’0”, McDaniels is a versatile forward, capable of guarding both SF and PFs. Showed real signs of a developed 3-point shot (38% last season) and played the most games in his career last season. The Hornets hope he can continue to progress and be an important depth piece for their forward stocks.
C - Mark Williams
| H: 7’1″ | W: 241lbs | Age: 20 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$18.0m (RC) | Years Pro: 0 |
Mark Williams was drafted with the 15th selection at the 2022 NBA draft. He was a defensive monster at Duke University, averaging 2.8 blocks a game last season. Williams could also use his 7’7” wingspan as an asset on offence, averaging 11.2 points per game on 72.1% shooting from the field. There’s potential for Williams to be the long-term starting Centre for the Hornets, where he can be the beneficiary of lob passes from LaMelo.
The Rest
11. JT Thor (PF/C)
12. Kai Jones (C)
13. Nick Richards (C)
14.
15.
T-W. Bryce McGowens (SG/SF)
T-W. Theo Maledon (PG/SG)
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Charlotte Hornets win totals sitting at 37.5 wins, good enough to be 11th in the Eastern Conference. After losing Miles Bridges, this is a good representation of where the Hornets should rank in the context of the rest of their Eastern Conference competitors. It could project to be a down season compared to their play-in appearance in 2022, especially losing a 20-point per game scorer in Bridges.
Conclusion
The Charlotte Hornets made a quicker-than-expected leap in 2022, to be in the play-in tournament and be just outside of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Drafting LaMelo Ball has proven to be a masterstroke decision by the franchise on and off the court, who is the up-and-coming superstar of the league and has the popularity to be a big-brand name on his own. But even he might have trouble replicating the results the team produced last season.
Miles Bridges is a huge on-court loss for this franchise, who became a borderline All-Star and the running mate to LaMelo – a duo the Hornets banked on to take the franchise back into playoff contention. The team put so much time into Bridges and allowed him the time to become a playmaking forward with the capacity to be a go-to scorer. It’s so sad (for all parties involved in this terrible ordeal) that this has happened.
Because of the impending nature of the criminal case, the Hornets couldn’t do anything to directly replace Bridges and his production. Other than drafting Mark Williams, that was it for the Hornets off-season. The Hornets hope that Williams will be the long-term solution at the Centre position, as he is someone that the team can build a defensive identity around. He has so much potential to be one of the best rim-running Centres in the league, he just needs time to develop.Bringing Cody Martin back was a great decision to bolster depth for their SG/SF positions, and guaranteeing Plumlee and Kelly Oubre Jr’s contracts keeps the Hornets competitive in the Eastern Conference. But they couldn’t do anything to replace Bridges and his presence as a scorer and rebounding.
Can they find this internally? PJ Washington will have to step up again and become the starting PF for this team, but doesn’t project to be a ball-handling creator on offence like Bridges was. Gordon Hayward is another candidate to pick up the scoring load (like he has early in his career with Utah), but is untrusted due to the constant injuries. Terry Rozier is the most likely out of the starting five to take a leap and be the 2nd option next to LaMelo, but is already averaging 19 points per game even when Bridges was in the line-up. It would be too much to expect Rozier to bump his scoring averages to 24+ points per game, because of his responsibilities as a two-way player.
Which is why LaMelo Ball is projected to have a massive season. I’m comparing his 3rd season to what Ja Morant was able to do last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant became an All-NBA 1st team player and put the Grizzlies on his back with his scoring and competitiveness. If the Hornets have any chance of returning to the play-in tournament, LaMelo will need to emulate what Morant did (and quite possibly, more).
In saying this, it’s going to be a season of internal improvement for the Hornets. They won’t make the playoffs with the roster they have now, but they need to focus on building a perennial contender around LaMelo. At some point in the future, Williams will have to come in and get reps and experience playing alongside the starters. Washington will also now have an opportunity to show he’s a starting calibre PF in this league. While the likes of Jalen McDaniels, James Bouknight and JT Thor will need to make the most of every opportunity, whether that’s bench minutes with the Hornets, or playing in the G-League.
I’m predicting the Hornets to get to 35 wins, where they will be alongside the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards battling for the final play-in spot. They will ultimately fall away and finish 12th in the Eastern Conference. As mentioned, it’s going to be a massive year for LaMelo Ball, one that will be statistically significant because of the extra usage left behind by Bridges. Mark Williams will become the starting Centre at some point during the season, as the team embraces a new defensive identity built under new head coach Steve Clifford. While Terry Rozier will be the main beneficiary of the Bridges departure, achieving career-highs in scoring. Gordon Hayward will also receive a similar boost (if he can stay healthy).