Charlotte Hornets: Season Preview

With a 36-46 record last season, the Charlotte Hornets surely showed playoff hopes, more than once. They finished 11th in the eastern conference, only 5 wins behind the 8th seed Chicago Bulls. Their playoff hopes are well and alive even before the start of the 2017-18 NBA regular season.

The Core

Their core of Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Marco Belinelli has seen a few changes. Marco Belinelli and Mason Plumlee went out to make way for Dwight Howard. Kemba Walker had a career year last season averaging 23 points and shooting 40 percent from deep. The former UConn superstar also became an All-Star for the very first time.

As for Howard, well he’s had enough of it. He’s ready to ball. Howard was recently featured in a story by Sports Illustrated where he opened up about his career, decline, on and off-court issues and his outlook for this season. It’s all looking good for now.

The Supporting Cast

This is probably where Hornets need to have a “get it done” mentality. Hornets have more than decent role players. Nicolas Batum is a solid starting wing who now has Malik Monk as backup. Their two bigs, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky will have to keep up the double-digit scoring. Jeremy Lamb will need to stay on an upwards trajectory.

The Final Word

Kemba Walker in his prime and a healthy Howard along with a supporting cast (in its true sense) are bound for playoff contention. They will have to get around injuries and work the rotation out perfectly. They also need to put in everything right from the get go. The eastern conference might not be nearly as competitive as the west but it is certainly a dog fight for the 8th seed in the east.

Check out the New Orleans Pelicans: Season Preview by ES here.