- Odds to win the 2015-2016 NBA Championship: 350:1
- 2014-2015 Record: 33-49 (Missed Playoffs).
- 2015 Draft Results:
- Frank Kaminsky, University of Wisconsin (9th Overall)
- Key Offseason Additions: Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lin, Spencer Hawes
- Key Offseason Losses: Lance Stephenson, Gerald Henderson, Noah Vonleh
- 2015 Draft Results:
- Projected Starting Lineup:
- Player Salaries:
- Season in Review:
The Good: Two things: The charlotte hornets still have Al Jefferson, the only legitimate all-star candidate on the entire roster and most importantly: Lance Stephenson no longer plays for the team. That’s it. It’s legitimately the only positive this franchise can take away from an uber-disappointing 2014-2015 campaign in which the team posted the league’s third worst offense ahead of two teams who were deliberately trying to lose. We talk all the time about “horrific” contracts – the Gilbert Arenas’/Rashard Lewis’/Amare Stoudemires of the world … but, just because the total $ amount of the deal wasn’t nine figures long doesn’t mean that we can disregard the Hornets’ signing of Lance Stephenson to be one of the worst of all-time.
The Bad: To elaborate: Charlotte’s big free agent splash recorded an absolutely unfathomable -20 difference in DRTG (105) and ORTG (85) … what that translates to: whenever Lance Stephenson was on the floor, the Hornets allowed twenty more points than they produced per 100 possessions. It doesn’t stop there … of any player on the roster who played at least 55 games, Lance had the worst box score plus/minus (-3.5). And finally, the most baffling production statistic of all: win shares. “Win Shares” are an advanced statistic used to estimate the number of wins contributed by a specific player, it’s purpose is to measure how many of the scheduled 82 regular season games said player had a hand in winning with their individual performance.
Put this into prospective: the other four Hornets starters recorded the following Win Share statistic:
- Kemba Walker (4.5)
- Al Jefferson (4.7)
- Marvin Williams (4.3)
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (3.8)
Lance Stephenson? -0.9!!!!! The Charlotte Hornets would have been better if he didn’t exist. Like, literally.
The Ugly: The front office’s evaluation of talent. Here are Charlotte’s first-round draft picks under Michael Jordan’s ownership…
- 2005: Raymond Felton, Sean May (Grade: F)
- 2006: Adam Morrison (Grade: F)
- 2007: Jared Dudley (Grade: D)
- 2008: D.J. Augustin (Grade: C-)
- 2009: Gerald Henderson (Grade: B-)
- 2011: Kemba Walker (Grade: A-)
- 2012: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Grade: INC)
- 2013: Cody Zeller (Grade: C)
- 2014: Noah Vonleh (Grade: B, now F)
- 2015: Frank Kaminsky (Grade: TBA, probably an F)
I’m only half-kidding when I say the Hornets make the New York Knicks look like the San Antonio Spurs when it comes to drafting. Year-after-year: the Hornets reach for a player and whiff like Pedro Cerrano at a curveball. I guess it’s easy to make fun of Michael Jordan’s selection in hindsight, but, if the rumors are true from this year’s draft – that he passed up on SIX picks in exchange for the Hornets’ #9 selection that he ultimately drafted Frank Kaminsky with … I’m done defending him. I really am. I thought nothing could tarnish Jordan’s legacy as a player, but, we are FAR past the point of “If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck…” in re: to his performance, or lack thereof, as an owner.
Buzz, your draft pick – WOOF.
- Baseless God Wob
I just don’t get this franchise. At all. The best decision the front office can hang its hat on from the last decade (changing their name from the Bobcats to the Hornets) has absolutely nothing to do with basketball. After failing to develop anyone they drafted – they trade the ONE guy (Noah Vonleh) that might actually pan out IN ADDITION to their best swingman (Gerald Henderson) in exchange for a veteran who is coming off one of the worst years of his career? This is why Michael Jordan cannot have nice things.
I realize it’s unfair to get on Frank Kaminsky even before he attempts one shot in a regular season NBA game, but, good lord: if MJ actually did decline the draft day trades and selected Frank 10+ picks ahead of where he was predicted to be selected – you better win Rookie of the Year, bro, or we’re going to be right back here next season complaining about a 10th consecutive year that the Bobcats/Hornets franchise absolutely crapped the bed.
What makes things worse is that this team isn’t even remotely close to being good. I’ve mentioned a couple times already that the absolute worst place to be in the NBA is mediocre – as for this Charlotte team: they don’t need to worry about this because first they need to be relevant. After trading away Vonleh and Henderson, the Hornets’ bench is an absolute atrocity. We’re looking at Jeremy Lin, Tyler Hansbrough, Frank Kaminsky, and Cody Zeller being the first four guys to be subbed into the game.
In addition: getting rid of Lance Stephenson was not cheap. The Hornets are now the proud owners of the leader-in-the-clubhouse for the NBA’s “Worst player in the league” Award: Spencer Hawes. A player so bad at offense that he not only got benched for the entire Clippers playoff run, but, somehow managed to post an absolutely farcical 95 individual ORTG when the Clippers as a team lead the entire NBA in offense (112.4 ORTG). HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. Oh P.S. because the Hornets traded for him, that means Hawes’ 15% trade kicker in his contract is activated for his player option in 2017-2018 and now Spencer Hawes is going to be paid 11+ million dollars the next three years to play professional basketball. Enjoy the rest of your day knowing that.
To summarize, here is the Hornets offseason in review:
- Traded: Noah Vonleh, Lance Stephenson, Gerald Henderson
- Received: Spencer Hawes, Nicolas Batum
- Drafted: Frank Kaminsky instead of a plethora of players who are probably going to be better than Frank is.
Things to look forward to?
- Maybe their starting shooting guard will, you know, attempt a three-point jump shot this season (not exaggerating: Kidd-Gilchrist attempted ZERO threes last year).
- Nicolas Batum’s expiring contract. Marvin Williams’ too.
- Tanking and hopefully not screwing up a top draft pick for the 11th straight year
- Getting all of these players with expiring contracts the F off the team and starting over.
- 2015-2016 Season Projection:
- 32-50 Record
- 12th Place in East
- No Playoffs
- Fan Mindset, as told by Hollywood:
- Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Baseless God Wob’s 3 Divine Questions:
- Should the Hornets re-sign Michael Kidd-Gilchrist NOW vs. after the season? Buy low/sell high?
- Do you re-sign the aging Al Jefferson to what will likely be a massive contract? Or do you trade him at the deadline in exchange for picks?
- Is anything short of an all-star selection a disappointing season for Kemba Walker?
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OTHER NBA SEASON PREVIEWS/PRESEASON RANKINGS:
- #24: Los Angeles Lakers
- #25: Minnesota Timberwolves
- #26: Orlando Magic
- #27: Denver Nuggets
- #28: Brooklyn Nets
- #29: Portland Trail Blazers
- #30: Philadelphia 76ers
from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1WnoKyh
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