GDT: Charlotte Hornets and other NBA talk part 2

[HisIceness]

RIP Dikembe Mutombo

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Man I’ve missed healthy LaMelo, he really is so damn good. Way too soon to make any determinations about this team but great win tonight, especially without Miller and Mark. With Jordan gone and the front office and coaching overhaul and a ton of young talent this team might actually be on the path towards being legit and a team that could maybe even win a playoff series within the next couple years—unheard of for Charlotte basketball since we lost the original Hornets

Already as many wins as the Panthers lol

 

[HisIceness]

!

 

[HisIceness]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1854356674678526251

Didn't lose to Pistons, good baby step!

 

[tarheelhockey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1854356674678526251

Didn't lose to Pistons, good baby step!

How’s Miller progressing? I feel like I’m starting to hear his name more.

 

[HisIceness]

How’s Miller progressing? I feel like I’m starting to hear his name more.

Seems like he's developing into an all-star which, Charlotte doesn't produce many of those. That's a sign there's a good talent here.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

How’s Miller progressing? I feel like I’m starting to hear his name more.

He was hurt in the first game of the season and been getting back up to speed slowly the last few games so hard to really say. Last year he was a stud and I would say expectations are high for him.

LaMelo has been playing like a top 5 player in the league but we really need Mark Williams to get healthy. Missing him and now Richards too just makes it extremely tough for this team on both ends of the floor. The bench is way better than last year and I like the new coach so far.

I think the Hornets probably finish somewhere 7-10 in the East and hopefully get into the playoffs through the play in round. Maybe higher if Mark comes back somewhat soon and actually stays healthy but honestly I have just about zero hope for that to ever happen.

 

[HisIceness]

Ball and Miller are wasting their careers here

 

[Deon Thompson]

I wanna be back in now that we have an organization that seems to know what it's doing, but I got a hard time looking past the fact that they still employ a girlfriend strangler. Mebbe they'll trade him this season and I can stomach watching again.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Ball and Miller are wasting their careers here

Nah, give it time with the new leadership in place. Brand new ownership, front office, HC. And we've been missing Miles, Mark, Richards, Mann and Grant is out for the year. This team is finally being built the right way it's just going to take a year or two. Hell, I would absolutely not rule out turning around this season once fully healthy.

 

[HisIceness]

Nah, give it time with the new leadership in place. Brand new ownership, front office, HC. And we've been missing Miles, Mark, Richards, Mann and Grant is out for the year. This team is finally being built the right way it's just going to take a year or two. Hell, I would absolutely not rule out turning around this season once fully healthy.

You're probably right. Last night was like watching the Borrego Hornets, close but no cigar.

 

[HisIceness]

 

[Svechhammer]

Just when you thought Tepper was the cheapest motherf***er in Charlotte, the Hornets come out to remind you they exist

 

[HisIceness]

How lame.

Edit: he updated, kid is getting the PS5 after all

 

[Blueline Bomber]

…That sounds even worse for them. A “rogue employee” set up a giveaway that involved offering a very expensive game system and then replacing it with a jersey? And everyone else involved just went along with it?

I’d put money down that whoever decided to replace the PS5 with a jersey has a son/nephew/himself that wants a PS5 for Christmas

 

[tarheelhockey]

That story makes no sense at all.

 

[Ben Grimm]

The Hornets are the Grinch who stole Christmas.

 

[HisIceness]

The "rouge employee" was Michael Jordan

 

[CandyCanes]

I don’t follow the NBA enough. Why do the Hornets continually suck? Seems like Ball is an elite player to build around, no?

 

[Stickpucker]

I don’t follow the NBA enough. Why do the Hornets continually suck? Seems like Ball is an elite player to build around, no?

Why do the Sabres suck?

They have some nice toys to build around.

Which franchise is worse? Discuss!!

 

[Svechhammer]

I don’t follow the NBA enough. Why do the Hornets continually suck? Seems like Ball is an elite player to build around, no?

Owners, bad management and being in a city in which no professional athlete cares to play in a league that sold its soul in marketing players over teams.

 

[HisIceness]

I don’t follow the NBA enough. Why do the Hornets continually suck? Seems like Ball is an elite player to build around, no?

Bad drafting/development, losing culture, bad management decisions, etc.

Ball was an easy draft pick, Miller was too although most everyone wanted Scoot Henderson. The Hornets in 2017 drafted Malik Monk ahead of Donavan Mitchell, Monk left in '22 and had a career year in Sacramento of all places. PJ Washington last year had a career renaissance in Dallas. Hell even Frank Kaminsky after leaving was good for a season in Phoenix.

The Hornets in 2016 gave Nic Batum an insanely bad contract. They released him in 2020 and stretched his contract out for another 4 years to overpay Gordon Heyward. Both those guys are off the books now but bad contracts like that set teams back.

Right now there's a lot of injuries but in general the team is just not very good. They have talent, but the talent doesn't mesh and/or gets outplayed by better talent. One thing I've noticed in watching them this season is they don't defend screens very well. It's pretty easy for the opponent to get nice uncontested shots against them. They need a perimeter defender.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

My favorite thing about the Hornets is how popular they were in the 90s, mostly because of the color scheme the organization used. The purple and teal were peak 90s colors and EVERYONE had a piece of Hornets gear, even if they didn’t follow the team at all.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

Bad drafting/development, losing culture, bad management decisions, etc.

Ball was an easy draft pick, Miller was too although most everyone wanted Scoot Henderson. The Hornets in 2017 drafted Malik Monk ahead of Donavan Mitchell, Monk left in '22 and had a career year in Sacramento of all places. PJ Washington last year had a career renaissance in Dallas. Hell even Frank Kaminsky after leaving was good for a season in Phoenix.

The Hornets in 2016 gave Nic Batum an insanely bad contract. They released him in 2020 and stretched his contract out for another 4 years to overpay Gordon Heyward. Both those guys are off the books now but bad contracts like that set teams back.

Right now there's a lot of injuries but in general the team is just not very good. They have talent, but the talent doesn't mesh and/or gets outplayed by better talent. One thing I've noticed in watching them this season is they don't defend screens very well. It's pretty easy for the opponent to get nice uncontested shots against them. They need a perimeter defender.

everyone needs a perimeter defender, especially if they can do anything on the offensive side of the floor on top of it. those types of players don't end up on the market often.. and they aren't cheap when they do

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I don’t follow the NBA enough. Why do the Hornets continually suck? Seems like Ball is an elite player to build around, no?

I believe this is the first year Ball has been both elite and consistently available.

Problem is, Ball is also not a good defender, and it's hard to justify that in the NBA these days, even at 30ppg on great efficiency.

TBF though, he's the clear best player on the team and the first superstar Charlotte has had since...????, the stuff people above posted is more pertinent. I'm adding a bit of context.