Via Sneakernews
Key Players: Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum
Player A averages: 25.3 points , 6.6 assists , 41% three-point percentage, 24.74 PER
Player B averages: 23.2 points, 5.5 assists, 40% three-point percentage, 21.41 PER
Player C averages: 25.2 points, 5.8 assists, 40% three-point percentage, 23.09 PER
The numbers above are any team's ideal statistics for their starting point guard; each player above put up All-NBA numbers last season, but only two have ever received such recognition. Player A, Stephen Curry, and Player C, Kyrie Irving, are both perennial All-NBA candidates with their own signature shoes; meanwhile Player B, Kemba Walker, runs the show in Charlotte with little to no acknowledgement. The underrated duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum are the faces of this year's Hornets team. Besides returning the bulk of their solid core, Charlotte's offseason included trading for Dwight Howard, signing Michael Carter-Williams, and drafting guards Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon.
Best Case Scenario
Via Queen City Hoops
Are the Charlotte Hornets good enough to beat LeBron James and the Cavs? No answer needed.
Are the Charlotte Hornets good enough to compete with the other 13 teams in the Eastern Conference? Most definitely.
Although not enough firepower to dethrone LeBron, the Hornets have an ideal combination of depth, experience, and coaching staff to compete with any Eastern Conference team--not residing in Cleveland. The Hornets haven't made it to the second round of the playoffs since *insert popular 2002 reference here*, but the offseason additions of future Hall-of-Famer Dwight Howard along with pure scorers Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon makes the second round a realistic expectation. The Hornet's core is at the stage where Charlotte knows what to expect when healthy; the only exception being Frank Kaminsky. Kaminsky is entering his third season, widely claimed as the most important season for a player's progression, and an uptake on last year's 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 32% three-point conversion rate makes this Charlotte team even more dangerous.
Worst Case Scenario
Via ESPN.com
With core pieces like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Dwight Howard, durability is always a concern. According to Head Coach Steve Clifford, lottery-pick Malik Monk suffered a "significant" ankle injury that caused him to miss the Summer League and "is still affecting him ". Add Kemba Walker undergoing his second surgery on his left knee in as many years and the Hornets have four pivotal players with a significant injury history. Even if injury is avoided, Charlotte's season can still take a turn for the worst; last season the team was relatively healthy and still finished well out the playoff race with a 36-46 record. Add that to the fact Dwight Howard hasn't exactly had a positive affect on his last three teams, each ending the Howard partnership after no more than three seasons, and the team's biggest offseason addition could become its downfall.
Prediction: 46-36; reminiscent of the 2015-2016 season.