2021-22 Record Predictions for the Charlotte Hornets

The All Hornets staff on Sports Illustrated has spoken.

Schuyler Callihan: 38-44, 10th in Eastern Conference

The Hornets have the pieces in place to win now but it's all going to come down to health, as it does for most teams. Gordon Hayward has battled a number of injuries over the past four seasons and LaMelo Ball missed some time last year with a wrist injury. When those two were out of the lineup, the team struggled. Charlotte went 9-19 in games that Hayward did not play and were 10-11 without LaMelo Ball. For Charlotte to have any chance of fulfilling their playoff aspirations, it starts with Ball and Hayward staying healthy and playing up to expectations. 

Two areas that the Hornets must improve in this season are shooting and rebounding. A year ago, Charlotte ranked 23rd in field goal percentage (45.5%) and 20th in rebounds averaging 43.8 per game. Replacing Cody Zeller with Mason Plumlee should be a slight improvement on the glass but I don't see the Hornets shooting it much better unless several guys see a jump in their percentages. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ish Smith are capable scorers but neither are going to light the world on fire. Not to mention., rookie James Bouknight wasn't viewed as an elite shooter at UConn. However, he does a great job of attacking the paint and finishing around the rim. 

This team has the talent to make it to the postseason but they might need to acquire some help at the trade deadline to help elevate this young team to the next level. I firmly believe that the Hornets are just two strong offseasons away from being a real, legitimate player in the Eastern Conference.

Jack Duffy: 

The Hornets are coming off of a season that left fans with an array of different emotions. 

On one hand, to state the obvious, you had the emergence of future star Lamelo Ball, who lit the league on fire en route to winning Rookie of the Year. Just having LaMelo Ball alone should leave fans of this franchise with hope for years to come. 

Additionally, Gordon Hayward, when healthy, showed he was worth the $120 million that Charlotte paid him last offseason. Keyword there, when healthy. Prior to Hayward's season-ending foot injury and LaMelo Ball's broken wrist, the Hornets were the four-seed in the Eastern Conference. Hayward showed that he was this young team's missing piece, providing the offense with a steady hand and shot creation from the wing that they desperately lacked in the past. 

Again, the problem for Charlotte was injuries. You have to assume that if Hayward and Ball avoided those injuries that they would have certainly been a playoff team in 2021. Head coach James Borrego, his team, and the entire Hornets organization have those same playoff aspirations for this season - even in a loaded Eastern Conference. 

Talks of player development and rebuilding are in the rearview. The time to make the playoffs has now arrived. Unfortunately, when you look at the Eastern Conference as a whole, it's difficult to envision the Hornets having a better record than at least seven other teams.

One would assume that the locks for the Eastern Conference playoffs are Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, and Miami. That leaves the next tier of teams fighting for those final two spots: Indiana, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Washington, and Charlotte. Let's say for the sake of this exercise that Cleveland, Detroit, and Orlando all finish at the bottom of the conference. 

If you did the math correctly, that leaves six of those fringe playoff teams fighting for the final two spots. That's a hard reality to face as a Hornets fan but there is definitely some warranted optimism that they can be one of those final two teams.

Now comes my prediction:

39-43, 10th in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets are not nearly as deep as they were last season after they traded away Devonte' Graham to the Pelicans and let Malik Monk walk in free agency. That shouldn't be an issue if the Hornets can stay healthy. 

Inevitably, LaMelo Ball will see an increase in minutes and usage with the two aforementioned players no longer on the roster. That's music to the ears of Hornets fans so they can truly see how far Ball can take a team in just his second season. Furthermore, Terry Rozier will likely continue to be one of the league's most efficient catch-and-shoot three-point shooters while contributing around 20 points per game as he did during his first two seasons in Charlotte. Gordon Hayward had his first injury-free offseason since 2016 and the last time that happened he was an All-Star. Will that happen this season in Charlotte? Maybe not but all Borrego needs him to do is do exactly what he did prior to his injury last season and that should come with some more comfort in his second season with the team. 

All that being said, the Hornets have a solid trio as their core but if they hope to eclipse the 40-win mark they'll need to see the continued progression of Miles Bridges - who made extravagant leaps to finish last season - along with P.J Washington. New additions, Ish Smith and Mason Plumlee filled dire holes on the roster and their veteran presence will be something of value as well. 

To wrap this all up, the Hornets will probably be a play-in team yet again this season but if the roster stays healthy and everyone continues on their current trajectory, then who knows. The Hornets could run the table and be a top-five team in the Eastern Conference.

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