What are the chances Michael Jordan's Hornets finally win a playoff series? Is Steph Curry in their future?
Our NBA Insiders preview Charlotte's 2016-17 season.
1. What is the Hornets' primary cause for optimism?
Brian Windhorst, ESPN.com: They have an excellent coach, whom they smartly extended last year, and it appears Kemba Walker is moving into his prime as a difference-making player. Also, the East is fluid in the middle, the difference between the fourth-best team and perhaps the 10th-best is narrow. If they are able to build on last season, they could zoom up.
Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Outside of Cleveland, it's open season in the East. They brought back their core, which doesn't seem like a step forward, but remember, ace defender Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is back as well. They have coaching and continuity on their side, which is no small thing in the East.
Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: Kidd-Gilchrist, one of the league's best wing defenders, appears to be fully healthy. So far he has played only 50 games per season (and only seven last season). With him, the Hornets could be a top-five defensive team.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: Getting back Kidd-Gilchrist gives them the chance to really get back to the grinding style of defensive basketball that Steve Clifford coaches so well. Since shooting is still a problem, the Hornets will almost have to win with defense. If Roy Hibbert regains anything like his Indiana form, the Hornets will be an elite defensive team. They may be anyway.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: A strong infrastructure for success. Clifford's coaching staff brings some of the soundest defensive principles in the NBA, and the coaches and front office discovered last season how important floor spacing is for success on offense. Combine those two things and the Hornets should always be competitive.
2. What is the Hornets' primary cause for concern?
Haberstroh: They're extremely vulnerable with Al Jefferson's departure. Cody Zeller's knee injury is a serious problem and Marvin Williams just broke a finger on his non-shooting hand. The frontcourt is banged up in a big way, which means a limping Frank Kaminsky has to step up.
Windhorst: They spent more than $180 million in free agency and still lost three pretty important players: Jeremy Lin, Courtney Lee and Al Jefferson. The other issue is it looks like they might've missed in the 2015 draft. Loaded with players, they turned down the Boston offer and took Kaminsky. Let's see how he does in Year 2, but that's squishy at the moment.
Doolittle: The Hornets don't project to have enough shooting. They need some or all of Marco Belinelli, Jeremy Lamb and Kaminsky to be high-efficiency shooters, because we can't expect Walker to be more than league average, and we know that MKG needs lanes to drive in order to be a big contributor to the half-court offense.
Engelmann: If the Hornets start Hibbert, and indications are they will, they might be in trouble. Last season the Lakers were outscored by 18 points per 100 possessions with Hibbert on the floor but by only three when he sat. He'll have to perform significantly better in Charlotte -- he essentially looked done for most of last season.
Pelton: Wing depth. Kidd-Gilchrist has played more than 62 games just once in his four NBA seasons, and behind him the Hornets have Belinelli (one of the league's worst players last year with the Sacramento Kings) and Lamb (who has yet to earn the coaching staff's trust). If Kidd-Gilchrist misses extended time, I don't think Charlotte can compensate like last season.
3. What trade would make the most sense for the Hornets?
Windhorst: Honestly, I have to wait and see how the Belinelli trade works out to see. Their front office has done a great job in pro personnel in recent years and they're testing that with the Belinelli and Hibbert acquisitions. Their depth took a hit in the offseason and they looked for replacements on the cheap. We have to see how they work out before we know what they might have to do.
Haberstroh: Clifford has done wonders turning so-so defenders into a strong defensive unit, so Brook Lopez is a name I'd watch. Considering Brooklyn is desperate for some long-term assets, I'd say a deal involving Zeller and a first-round pick (Charlotte owns all of theirs going forward) might do it.
Engelmann: I'd try to trade for another shooting guard. The Hornets have Belinelli and the unproven Aaron Harrison to back up Nicolas Batum, who tends to miss about a dozen games every season. Belinelli sported a bottom-15 real plus-minus last season.
Doolittle: I don't see a high ceiling for this roster. Maybe Kidd-Gilchrist develops into the best defender in the league, but elite players can carry a team on offense as well. Zeller is a solid rotation player but shows no signs of being more than that.
So, a crazy idea: trade Walker to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio. Walker could be Minnesota's sixth man eventually, which would be his best role. Rubio would give the Hornets a different vibe, leading their defense to extend ball pressure and feed the offense. Of course, that might mean they five starters with just a 20 percent usage rate.
Pelton: Based on my previous answer, another 3-and-D wing would be a welcome addition. Thabo Sefolosha, P.J. Tucker and C.J. Miles would be solid targets at the trade deadline. However, finding the right package in return might be tricky for Charlotte, which has few tradable expiring contracts.
4. From 0 to 100 percent: What are the chances this is the season the Hornets win a playoff round?
Haberstroh: 50 percent. Outside of Cleveland, the Hornets can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody if they're healthy, but that's not saying much out East. They'd be toast in the West. If Clifford can rejuvenate Hibbert as a defensive anchor, then that will do wonders for this team.
Windhorst: 50 percent. That's a hedge and a half, I know. But it's very challenging to forecast teams Nos. 4-10 in the East in my opinion. If they actually stay healthy on the perimeter for a change, a case can be made that they can be a dominating defensive team. If.
Engelmann: About 35 percent. The Hornets probably will have to finish in East's top five to have a good shot of advancing, as the top three East teams are quite strong. Grabbing the fourth or fifth spot seems relatively likely, though, which would give them a manageable opponent and perhaps even home-court advantage.
Doolittle: 35 percent. The Hornets could finish anywhere from No. 3 to No. 11 in the East. Clifford has both offensive and defensive options at every position, but few players who do both well, so he's going to face a nightly chess match with his rotation. If he coaxes average efficiency from this offense then he's a wizard and the Hornets do get out of the first round. But I think they'll have too much trouble scoring against playoff-caliber defenses.
Pelton: Maybe 15 percent? In my view it's much more likely Charlotte misses the playoffs than wins a series. Besides the questionable wing depth, the Hornets also have to deal with the likelihood that Batum and Walker regress somewhat after career years in 2015-16.
5. What's your take on the speculation Steph Curry might be interested in playing in Charlotte?
Haberstroh: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard have all made the "I'm coming home" play. I'd say there's a lot more here than people think because of all the ego management in the Bay Area. I'd peg the chances of it happening next summer just under 10 percent. If Charlotte can find him a co-star, then this goes up, but would still be unlikely.
Engelmann: I think Curry is too happy with how things are currently going with the Warriors to consider signing with another team. The Hornets probably will have to wait for him hit free agency around 2020 or after to have a decent shot of him signing with them.
Windhorst: When it comes to free agency, I think its foolhardy to guess how a player may feel seven months from now. I could list all kinds of scenarios, but I think history tells us two things: First, if the Warriors are as good as we think they can be, this isn't going to be a question. Second, if things go south, even at the very end after months of greatness, anything is possible.
Doolittle: Do it. The Warriors could still have Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Meanwhile, Curry can invigorate an entire franchise in Charlotte. You put him in for Walker and you've got a heck of a team. Do I see it happening? Seems like a long shot. Maybe if the Durant situation blows up, the draw of home seems that much stronger for Steph.
Pelton: It would be hard for me to be much more skeptical. If somehow Curry were to want out of Golden State, I can't see him joining a fringe playoff team that would have to gut its roster to clear the necessary cap space. The Hornets would have to dramatically exceed expectations to be a realistic option unless Curry is just desperate to play at home.