Charlotte Hornets Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
The Charlotte Hornets fell short of making the postseason after being crushed by the Indiana Pacers during the play-in game. But for the first time in recent history, there are legitimate signs of hope for a brighter future ahead within the organization.
Much of that hope rides on one player: LaMelo Ball. One of the most polarizing players in recent history came into the league and balled out – when healthy. Despite missing almost a month and a half of game action towards the end of the season a fractured bone in his right wrist, Ball was still dynamic enough through the rest of the year to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
All of the pieces are in place to make it to the postseason next year, but the Charlotte Hornets starters will have to carry a heavy load.
Charlotte also seems to have a long-term core locked into place to build around. Charlotte acquired Gordon Hayward in a sign-and-trade with a four-year, $120 million deal, which still has three years left. Terry Rozier just signed a four-year, $97 million extension. Miles Bridges is set to be a restricted free agent next year, but it’s hard to imagine he’s not in the team’s long-term plans.
Now it’s just about showing progress on the court. Since changing back to the Hornets ahead of the 2014-15 season, the franchise has made the playoffs just once, back in 2015-16. That marked the only winning season since the name change and the best season by winning percentage since the Bobcats were reborn in 2004-05.
All of the pieces are in place to make it to the postseason next year, but the starters will have to carry a heavy load. Here’s how those starters rank entering the 2021-22 season.
new contract</a> through the 2025-26 season. It’s time for him to be recognized more for his play across the country.</p>
<p>Rozier was the prize acquisition from the Boston Celtics in the Kemba Walker sign-and-trade, which seemed foolish at the time. The guard’s first season in Charlotte didn’t do much to change hearts and minds.</p>
<p>While the numbers aren’t drastically different, Rozier seemed much more comfortable in his role last season. His scoring exceeded 20 points per game for the first time in his career and he was able to slide below two turnovers per contest.</p>
<p>Rozier became a pest on the defensive end too. He averaged 1.3 steals per game and swiped a total of 87 steals on the season, placing him in 15th in the NBA.</p>
<p>Next, the guard needs to work on becoming a more elite three-point shooter. His 222 three-point makes ranked fifth in the NBA last season, but his 571 attempts ranked sixth. Shooting 38.9 percent from three is serviceable, but Rozier would bring a new element to this offense if he can push it over 40 percent as he did in 2019-20.</p>
<p>Rozier is now being paid like one of the Hornets’ three best players. For the next several seasons, he has to prove it – not that Rozier has ever minded having a chip on his shoulder.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Charlotte Hornets Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Charlotte Hornets starters ranked: 2. PG LaMelo Ball</h2>
<p>LaMelo Ball isn’t even the best player on the Hornets roster – yet. But it should only be a matter of time before he takes that title, as well as the title of one of the league’s elite superstars.</p>
<p>The polarizing prospect proved the doubters wrong through much of his first season, all the way earning Rookie of the Year honors. He contributed across the board, averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game.</p>
<p>Ball’s ability as a playmaker is just absurd. A highlight reel can easily be thrown together of some of his most memorable passes of the season. Sometimes his elite vision can lead him to try a little too hard – 2.8 turnovers per game – but he’ll make better decisions as he gets into a better groove in the future.</p>
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<p>While far from an elite defender, Ball also showed some ability to pick the pockets of his opponents. The rookie averaged 1.6 steals per game, finishing ninth in the NBA. His 2.7 steal percentage ranked fifth in the league.</p>
<p>His three-point shooting could also use some work. He averaged 5.1 attempts per game from three, showing no hesitation from distance. But his 35.2 percent conversion rate ranked seventh among typical Hornets rotation players.</p>
<p>Like all young players, Ball has room to grow. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him top this list as soon as next year.</p>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-429563" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/20/charlotte-hornets-ranking-5-starters/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1110,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1299023218.jpeg" alt="Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets" width="1600" height="1110" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1299023218.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1299023218-768x533.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Charlotte Hornets Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Charlotte Hornets starters ranked: 1. SF Gordon Hayward</h2>
<p>The rub with Gordon Hayward is and always will be his extensive injury history, which reared its ugly head during his first season with the Hornets. When healthy, however, the small forward is the top starter on the roster.</p>
<p>Last season, Hayward averaged 19.6 points per game, his most since his last season in Utah. He chipped in 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Hayward was also lethal from beyond the arc, hitting 41.5 percent of his three-point attempts.</p>
<p>Like his younger teammate, Hayward also showed a renewed ability to swipe the ball. The small forward averaged 1.2 steals per game, his best mark since 2015-16.</p>
<p>Once again, injuries were a problem for the one-time All-Star, a problem he has struggled to outrun since going down in the first game of the 2017-18 season. A right foot sprain sidelined Hayward late in the season and he played in just 44 games, his fourth straight season missing at least 10 games.</p>
<p>Hayward should enter the coming season with a clean bill of health – whether he remains that way is impossible to predict. Fans in Buzz City hope he can stay on the court and Hayward can continue to be the best starter on the team, possibly even returning to All-Star status.</p>
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