We take an in-depth look into LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets as they look to get into the playoffs this season
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Things have most definitely been better for the Hornets.
In the last 10 games, the team has won just 3, and have even lost their last 5 on the bounce. Not exactly a good sign for a team looking to get into the postseason.
LaMelo Ball and his crew have had times where they look like they could take on absolute giants. Of course, other times they get eaten alive by the ones that live in the paint.
With the team now being the 9th seed, things are starting to look a bit dreary. And so, here we are, with our first-ever edition of the Charlotte Hornets’ Playoff picture, where we analyze this team’s strengths, weaknesses, and even potential trades, to really map out the team situation for you.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Strengths: An embarrassment of riches
Even with all this young team’s ups and downs, it would be foolish to say they don’t have players with some serious upside.
LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, James Bouknight, and Kelly Oubre Jr. are all players that can cause mayhem on any given night. And that list doesn’t even mention players such as Cody Martin, and Gordon Hayward, both players that have been very big for this team as well.
These are all players that can come up big to lead the team in the playoffs. Sure, given that this specific roster has no playoff appearances while playing together, so surely there will be some that just aren’t able to perform. But this team learns pretty darn quick, so we doubt that’d be a problem for too long if they do get to the postseason.
The pieces are there. Heck, even the dogged mentality is there. Really the only thing they’re lacking is consistency… and well, rim protection as well.
Speaking of which, how about we have a conversation about their weaknesses?
Weaknesses: Will the hole in their hull ever be fixed?!
If you want to not only make the playoffs but also make some noise in it, Mason Plumlee cannot be your starting center. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t get us wrong, we are massive fans of his playmaking ability on the offensive ends. And during certain stretches of games, the man has turned into a rebounding machine as well. But really, that’s about it.
Plumlee can’t make a shot to save his life, his decision-making can be extremely questionable during key moments in a game. And the very literally massive issue at hand here, calling his defense ‘suspect’, would be like putting paper on a hole in a ship, to fix it. As you’d expect, it doesn’t even come close to really explaining the gravity of the situation.
The Hornets’ no. 24 just can’t defend the rim without either fouling or letting the opponent have an easy deuce. And the numbers reflect this as well.
Per 48 minutes, Mason Plumlee averages 5.7 fouls per game. PER GAME.
Yes, he only averages about 26 minutes per game for the Hornets. But, even that’s because of his lack of offense, and his tendency to get into foul trouble every single time. Really, after 46 games played, we could probably count in one hand the number of games the man hasn’t had to sit due to his number of fouls. And it doesn’t help things when 6’6” Miles Bridges has to fill in at the 5 instead.
Believe it or not, the Charlotte Hornets’ perimeter defense isn’t that bad. Yes, it could improve for sure, but it isn’t like they’re abysmal. It’s just that team needs to bring in somebody who can actually be a presence at the rim. And that brings us swimmingly to our next point.
Possible trade option: Get Myles Turner no matter what
The Charlotte Hornets are already over their cap limit of 112 million dollars, so that isn’t the best position either. And given that Miles Bridges is probably up to be paid big time during this upcoming offseason, then well… things aren’t looking too hot.
The good news is, the Hornets have players they can get rid of.
JT Thor, Nick Richards, and Vernon Carrey jr. are all players they can get rid of. Of course, their salaries total up to just over 4 million anyway. But, we do think that combining them, alongside someone like Gordon Hayward could get you, Myles Turner, especially from a Pacers team that’s looking to rebuild.
Yes, we know what we said about Gordon Hayward, and we still mean that. But, the reality of the situation is, his injury history, doesn’t pair well with his 29 million per season. On top of that, the Hornets already have young developing players in his position, who are already showing flashes.
Sending young pieces alongside a weary Gordon Hayward would not only get rid of their cap space issues but also get them one of the best two-way centers in the league.
We will admit that this is a bit of a fairy-tale trade. But, it is also one that the Hornets really need to look into.
Will the Charlotte Hornets make the playoffs?
Frankly, it depends,
As things look right now, they probably have little to no chance of escaping the play-in tournament, so that’s not ideal. However, if the Hornets can manage to pull a good run together right before the tournament, they could actually ride that momentum into making the playoffs.
However, if their final regular-season games leave a sour taste in the mouth, it may be time to just give up and look toward next year.
