2017-18 Finish: 50-32

After narrowly and spectacularly missing the playoffs in the previous season, and adding more young talent in the draft, surely this season was all about the P words: Porzingis and Playoffs. The young Hornets were mostly entering their third or fourth years in the NLL, prime-time for breakouts. The Hornets were consistently winning throughout the season and the focus soon turned to the playoffs.

Rumours flew around the league pre-playoffs of some unsportsmanlike decision making, seeding drama and some dibber-dobbing and name-calling, which lead to general unrest amongst the league’s GMs in response to these actions.

I can’t attest to any of these rumours, and all I can comment on is how the Charlotte Hornets took the next step towards respectability and reaping the ultimate benefits that their excellent drafting and personnel decisions have made attainable.

50 win seasons, particular in the East, are a strong pass mark during any season. Only six teams had better records, to put their 50 wins into even more pleasing context. Add to this the fact that their best player didn’t play in their final 8 weeks of the season and no games in the playoffs, and their season was a great success.

Season Highlight: Playoffs, baby!

50 wins and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference is an enviable position if you asked most teams. Unfortunately, in the deep East, the Hornets ran into the Boston Celtics. The Celtics had been there before and the Hornets were without their star, but they were still terrific. Thon Maker was the most dominant bench player of the series and the Hornets were still able to take a few games against Kevin Durant and co. It was the critical first taste of playoff experience that each young player needs in order to build and grow towards the next playoffs birth. Defeated in the end, but lots for Hornets fans to be happy about.

Season Lowlight: We’ve lost our Zing(a)

Everyone knows how good this team can be and how many good prospects it features due to years of astute losing, trading and drafting. Out of all these pieces, which include Myles Turner, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest, both literally and figuratively: Kristaps Porzingis.

He is the next step in basketball evolution: that one, random genetic mutation that changes the entire landscape of the ecosystem from that day forward. After having lots of haters pre-draft, Zinga proved them all wrong in the biggest way, showing a complete skill set on both sides of the ball and inside and outside. Digga made the right call on draft day and he now possesses a top 5 most asset in the NLL in terms of potential impact and value.

Unfortunately, for Charlotte fans, he wrecked his knee going for a dunk just into the 2018 calendar year and was immediately ruled out for 12 months. This was a lowlight in the eyes of NLL fans in general and Kristaps was in the midst of his breakout season. When you stand 7-3 (!!!) and run and jump, no knee injury is good news.

Best Trade:

The Charlotte Hornets send a  1st-Rounder (SA), 1st-Rounder (Cha) and 2nd-Rounder (LAL) to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers send a  1st-Rounder (Pho) to the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets make draft picks and add future draft picks, and make more draft picks. So this fits the bill – they condense late firsts and a second for a mid-round first. They had to condense their many assets or risk losing them. Simple as that. Prying a young player from the Hornets is like walking up to a pride of lions like it’s a pet shop and just selecting one of their cubs. It ain’t gonna happen. And why would he? If my wallet was that thick I’d just take photos of it and gaze at them.

They ended up moving on this first with more second rounders for a higher first – but the initial ‘condense’ move was a must

Worst Trade:

The Charlotte Hornets send  Evan Turner and Alex Poythress to the New Orleans Pelicans. The New Orleans Pelicans send  Wayne Ellington and Miles Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets.

The New Orleans Pelicans send a  2nd-Rounder (Cle) to the Charlotte Hornets.

There were literally three trades to choose from, so this is likely the worst. The Hornets wanted to rid the roster of Turner’s contract, despite him being the best 2k player in the deal. The return was Wayne Ellington and Miles Plumlee and a 2nd rounder. Plumlee arguably has the worst talent-to-salary ratio in the league. Ellington is a handy three-point shooter. No real impact from this deal but as I said, he made three deals in a season.

Other Notable Trades:

Miami sends a 2018 first rounder (a top 5 pick) to the Charlotte Hornets. The last claw marks from the proid-era have now been sand-blasted off the Miami front office with breece having to send a top pick to Charlotte, who ended up being Kevin Knox (who looks damn good… typical Charlotte).

HE CAN’T HURT YOU, ANYMORRRRRRE, MIAMIIIIII!

Free Agency:

Elfrid Payton (RFA) – Payton is a restricted free agent and will be back for Charlotte. With the emergence of Jamal Murray, he is destined for a bench role as long as he stays with the Hornets.

Mario Hezonja (FA) – Super Mario had his team option declined last off-season and it’s a coin-toss whether or not he returns to his role of not playing

Wayne Ellington (FA) – the young Hornets like his veteran presence and he can still be effective off the bench. Likely to stick around.

Star:

The Latvian Gangbanger, The Unicorn, The Porzingod – Kristaps Porzingis

I already mentioned how good he is, and hyperbole aside, he really is that good. Hopefully his knee recovers 100%, for NLL fans and Hornets fans alike.

Goat

Miles Plumlee – was hard to find a goat on the Hornets after such a successful season, but the guy is so bad for how much money he makes. He is so lucky that the last engine allowed bigs to flourish and even then he is useless outside of 1 foot. More like Bumlee.

Draft Grades (from Insider, comments via Nenjabin)

Pick 8 – Kevin Knox - B

So from here on, the picks become a bit murky really. You could pretty much throw a blanket over 8-25? in my book and have the same chance that they fight their way out. Knox was mocked as the BPA, and arguably the best fit for Charlotte who are pretty loaded in all positons…but it’s clear PG was not a need. With Hezonja set for UFA, Knox fills that hole, but maybe he also fills the hole too well in having a game that would seem iffy for the next level? This beat writer had Knox down at 18th on his draft board. There feels like safer picks here, like a Mikal Bridges?

Pick 9 – Michael Porter Jr - A

This pick was earmarked a mile away. The Hornets have depth for days and can afford to have Porter sit out a year…or maybe even never suit up, if it came to that. For the chance at grabbing a guy who’s talent had him going #1 for a while before injury concerns derailed that idea, grabbing him at 9 when you can afford to wait and even afford to let a 9th overall selection go by the wayside (we could all be so lucky) is the professionals choice. Besides, he’s surrounded by PGs in the mocks here and the Hornets have 3 young quality PGs. Porter boasts to be the perfect fit for both forward spots when he does take the court and the Hornets could have got richer.

 

Pick 14 – Lonnie Walker - A

This pick screams value here because of the development potential seen from where he mocked to days earlier. He’s hired the right training crew t maximise his development and should become a good 2 way option for both guard spots. Do the Hornets need that? I think they have 4 of them already…but what’s 5?

Pick 19 – Josh Okogie – B+

The Hornets are back and just cause there’s not much else in this range, they’re taking another probable 3 and D wing in Okogie. There’s going to be some major remodelling in Charlotte over the break you’d imagine! He’s a solid get here though for his 2 way potential which is a calling card of the Hornets and he’ll have the time to grow behind the others on the bench.

If Porter Jr at 9 is an A, surely now after SL, Kevin Knox is an A, too. He showed a a killer instinct, a great range of skills and a very smooth-looking game.

The Future:

You can’t swing a hornet’s nest around in the Charlotte locker room without hitting a young star. Porzingis and Turner will arguably both be All-Stars for years to come and all Charlotte needs is another few of his top draft picks to come through and they will be challenging for titles soon, and often. Winning a playoff series is next on the list.