- The Charlotte Hornets won only 27 games last season
- Brandon Miller was selected with the second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
- The starting lineup could get tricky
The Charlotte Hornets had a putrid 2022-23 season. The team won only 27 games and star point guard LaMelo Ball was limited to just 36 games due to injury.
The Hornets haven’t made the playoffs since 2016. They drafted Brandon Miller out of Alabama with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Charlotte’s front office is hopeful that Miller can turn into an All-Star like Ball and help the franchise snap its postseason drought sooner rather than later.
Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to his starting lineup since a few veterans could be benched. Let’s take a look at how things could play out.
Point Guards
Starter: LaMelo Ball
Reserves: Theo Maledon, Frank Ntilikina
The Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The younger brother of Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists last season while shooting 41.1% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 83.6% from the free-throw line. LaMelo recorded 17 double-doubles and three triple-doubles in 36 starts.
LaMelo made the All-Star team in 2022 and won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award. He only appeared in 36 games last season due to a fractured right ankle, but that didn’t stop the Hornets from giving the youngster a five-year contract extension worth up to $260 million. LaMelo has already established himself as one of the top playmakers in the NBA.
LaMelo has career averages of 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists. If he stays healthy next season, the California native could make his second All-Star team.
Shooting Guards
Starter: Terry Rozier
Reserves: Cody Martin, Nick Smith Jr.
Terry Rozier signed a four-year, $96 million contract with the Hornets in August 2021. He’ll make $23 million next season. The 29-year-old scoring guard averaged 21.1 points and 5.1 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 41.5% from the floor, 32.7% from beyond the arc and 80.9% from the free-throw line.
Many people around the NBA believe the Hornets should trade Rozier to free up more chances for Ball. Rozier is a fairly ball-dominant player, as he had a 26.9 usage percentage last season. That was more than Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler, Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen, Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray, and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (just to name a few).
It will be intriguing to see if Rozier spends the entire 2023-24 season with the Hornets. There could be a contender in need of his scoring skills by the time the 2024 trade deadline rolls around in February.
Small Forwards
Starter: Brandon Miller
Reserve: Gordon Hayward
This is where things start to get dicey for the Hornets. The franchise used the second overall pick in this year’s draft to select Brandon Miller. He should start right away so he can learn and play through his mistakes and develop a rapport with Ball.
However, the Hornets do have former All-Star Gordon Hayward on the roster. How would Hayward react if Miller started over him?
The 33-year-old Hayward hasn’t come off the bench since the 2018-19 season when he was on the Boston Celtics. The former Utah Jazz star will make $31.5 million next season and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
The Hornets should start Miller over Hayward and look to trade Hayward, who hasn’t played more than 52 games in a season since 2019-20.
Power Forwards
Starter: PJ Washington
Reserves: Miles Bridges, JT Thor, Kai Jones
PJ Washington was a restricted free agent for basically the entire summer until the Hornets finally signed him to a three-year, $48 million contract at the end of August. The 25-year-old appeared in 73 games for the Hornets last season. He averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.4% overall, 34.8% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line.
The Hornets drafted Washington with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Kentucky. The forward has career averages of 12.9 points, 5.5 boards and 2.3 assists in 260 games. He has made 457 3s with the Hornets. His ability to space the floor creates more driving lanes for Ball and Rozier.
Bridges should come off the bench for the Hornets next season since he didn’t play at all in 2022-23. He likely won’t have any say in the matter following a domestic violence arrest on June 27, 2022. The lefty has career averages of 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 47.3% from the floor, 34.6% from 3-point land, and 80.9% from the foul line.
Bridges was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Michigan State. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists during the 2021-22 season.
Centers
Starter: Mark Williams
Reserves: Nick Richards, Kai Jones
Mark Williams averaged more points and assists than Nick Richards last season, so he figures to start at center for the Hornets next season, although Richards could win the starting job by playing better in training camp and preseason games.
Williams averaged 9.0 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, while Richards put up 8.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Since Ball is such an incredible passer, the Hornets need a big man with solid hands and finishing skills on the court with him at all times. Both Williams and Richards shot over $62.0% from the field last season, so Charlotte is lucky it has two quality rim-rollers for Ball.
Williams is currently projected to start over Richards, but these things are fluid. The Hornets are still in rebuild mode in the post-Kemba Walker era, so no starting spots besides Ball are set in stone. It will be fascinating to see who has a better training camp between Williams and Richards.
