As the Charlotte Hornets geared up for tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they carried a disappointing record of 17-54. This places them as the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference and fourth-worst in the entire NBA. At the start of the season, the Hornets were filled with hope and optimism, buoyed by the belief that they had the perfect mix of young talent and veteran leadership to make a significant impact. However, this optimism was brutally shattered as the team endured not one but two 10-game losing streaks. To compound their misery, the Hornets have also suffered three losing streaks of five or more games this season. So, what exactly went wrong for this once-promising Hornets team? Here’s my analysis of why this season has turned into another one of the Hornets watching playoff games from the sidelines.
No Accountability Amongst Its Players.
Whenever you bring a new coach or front office in, What’s one of the first things they say? “They want to change the culture.” One of the big things about changing the culture is holding players accountable for their actions, NO MATTER their status. The Hornets picked and chose who they held responsible for their actions. This has been a thing since the 22-23 season…
1) Kai Jones went on a rant that led many people to question whether he was on some substance. After publicly calling out his teammates and requesting a trade, Jones was not only fined 150,000 by the NBA, but the Hornets also waived him.
2). Miles Bridges played well into a big contract going into the 2022 off-season. He threw it all away after he was charged with domestic abuse by his former girlfriend and the mother of two of his children. He ended up pleading no contest to the charge while having the other two charges dropped. He missed the entire 22-23 season after being suspended by the NBA for 30 games (20 games credited). Bridges signed a one-year contract during the 2023 off-season but was forced to turn himself in once again for violating a protection order. Despite this, Coach Clifford allowed Bridges to return after serving just a 10-game suspension and gave him the starting job.
3). P.J. Washington became the butt of all jokes with his relationship with social media influencer Brittney Renner. The two share a child.
4). LaMelo Ball had gone viral for his reckless driving in Charlotte.
5). Brandon Miller used poor judgment in supplying a teammate with a weapon that was used in the senseless crime of a young lady.
6). Former 1st round pick James Bouknight was arrested and charged with a DWI after being found sleeping in his car with two weapons and a bag of Doritos.
7). Former Hornet Montrez Harrell was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana. The felony charge was ultimately dropped to a misdemeanor.
When the culture is so bad that it isn’t held accountable on the basketball court, everything about the organization is toxic. These guys were brought in to change Charlotte’s losing culture, but these players couldn’t stay out of their way, setting the team back.
Coaching.
Steve Clifford hasn’t been dealt a good hand in his second stint with the Hornets. When you are a defensive coach trying to instill defensive philosophies in players who couldn’t care less about defense, It’s a recipe for trouble. Many Hornets fans are still disappointed with the firing of coach James Borrego, who was a perfect fit for the roster. Since Clifford was the coach of the Hornets, the team has ranked 20th and 26th in defensive rating since Clifford was hired.
During the 22-23 season, The Hornets ranked last in offensive rating while finishing 29th in offensive rating this season. This is a surprise, considering they have/had guys such as LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier & Gordan Hayward. In addition to not being a good offensive or defensive team, Steve Clifford handled the Miles Bridges situation poorly. I don’t believe he should’ve got his starting back so quickly, considering guys like P.J. Washington were playing well enough to keep the spot. Despite all that, I will give him credit for getting the most he can out of the players he has, and he isn’t afraid to tell players when they need to tighten up.
Injuries/Lack Of True Development
Like all NBA teams, the Hornets have been hit significantly by the injury bug.
- LaMelo Ball (Out since January)
- Mark Williams (Out since December)
- Terry Rozier (Missed nine straight games early)
- Gordan Hayward (Missed 25 of 50 games before trade)
These are the guys you were counting on to help you win games, but when they’re not available, it messes up everything. It also hurts when you bring young guys in and can’t develop them to become significant rotational pieces. Guys like James Bouknight and JT Thor have been unable to turn the corner and be foundational pieces for the Hornets, which changes things. They can do this right; the question is, will they do it?
The Conclusion.
It started when Michael Jordan relinquished majority ownership of the Hornets, but the Hornets needed new voices of reasoning. Steve Clifford isn’t going to be the coach to lead this team. His philosophies don’t match today’s NBA. I think Charlotte will be good if Charlotte can get an innovative coach who will not let players skate off when they do wrong.
West Coast Hoops 