Hornets Fan Survey Results: Part 1

Do Hornets fans want Miles Bridges back on the Hornets? What is the level of confidence in owner Michael Jordan?

Introduction

This is the first  off-season fan survey we have completed at All Hornets and we were blown away with the response. The survey was predominantly shared on Twitter and Instagram and received over 670 responses. We hope this becomes an annual tradition so we can help keep the pulse on the Hornets fanbase. 

Do you want Miles Bridges to be back on the Hornets?

NO)  IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (49.6%)

YES)* IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (50.4%)

* (Yes - After trial outcome + potential NBA suspension)

Analysis: I did NOT expect this to be 50/50, this is a shocker. Judging by the tone of some comments on social media, I don't think the "Yes" voters would be outraged if Miles wasn't back on the team, they would understand. However, we've seen the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace all carve out professional careers after being charged with domestic violence. In 2022 the public scrutiny and outcry over professional athletes breaking the law is more difficult to overcome. While it isn't a domestic violence charge, it is interesting to look at the Deshaun Watson situation who in the eyes of many has been "Under punished" in the the courts and NFL. I do find myself wondering how these votes would look if Miles Bridges was the 15th man and not a foundational piece.

When did you first start following the Hornets regularly?

There from day one (1988-2002) 26%

Charlotte basketball is back (2004-2010) 18%

Rebuild era: Dunlap & 7-59 (2011-2014) 11%

Hornets are back! (2014-2020) 26%

The LaMelo Ball era (2020-Present) 19%

Analysis: A pretty even distribution here, apart from an understandable dip during the Dunlap & 7-59 season. Interestingly the number of "LaMelo Ball era" fans doubled after the survey was shared to "Charlotte Hornets Only" Instagram page.

How many of the Hornets 83 games did you watch this season?

Less than 20 IIIIIIIIIIIIII (14%)

Less than 41 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (19%)

Less than 61 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (33%)

Less than 83 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (35%)

Analysis: This is a figure which people generally inflate when grading themselves but paints a promising one for Hornets fans. When you take into account the TV blackout in and around Charlotte, the time difference for international fans, having over 68% over fans watching a minimum of 60 games is very impressive. Obviously, the less casual fans might be less likely to fill out the survey, but overall I'm still happily surprised of the commitment from most people.

How many Hornets games did you attend this season?

0         IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (43%)

1-5      IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (36%)

6-10    IIIIIIII (7%)

10-30  IIIIIIII (8%)

30+     IIIIII (6%)

Analysis: I received many messages from people wanting to make it clear the only reason they didn't attend games was because of their location not being in Charlotte. The 36% of people who attended between 1-5 games suggests there's a group of people who make the trip a couple of times a year either internationally or from the surrounding areas. Charlotte ranked 15th in attendance in the NBA last year, but it seems the survey struggled to reach a lot of those regular attendees with only 21% completing the survey attending 10+ games.

How confident are you in GM Mitch Kupchak?

1) IIII (5%)

2) IIIIIIIIIIIIII (14%)

3) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (40%)

4) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (33%)

5) IIIIIIII (8%)

Analysis: Following a strong couple of drafts and some savvy trades Mitch Kupchak generally good support from Hornets fans. However, the lack of aggressiveness to find a long term solution to the center problem, a lack of action in the 2022 off-season and the struggles of the 2021 draft class could be a stain on his résumé, 

How confident are you in owner Michael Jordan?

1) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (21%)

2) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (35%)

3) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (27%)

4) IIIIIIIIIII (11%)

5) IIIIII (6%)

Analysis: Yikes! That's a whopping 83% of fans who either have low confidence or feel neutral about Michael Jordan as an owner. Jordan is still more involved than most owners, especially around the draft and free agency. His post playing career personnel decisions have largely aged poorly outside of the Kemba Walker selection which was largely rumored as an MJ move. Is the "MJ is cheap" criticism fair? Yes and no, sure the team have stopped selling 2nd rounders and even paid to stretch Batum to make space for Hayward. However, the financial offer for Walker's free agency was laughably low (Irrelevant of how it eventually played out) and Jordan is known to have one of the smallest and lowest paid basketball operations staff in the NBA.

How confident are you in Head Coach Steve Clifford?

1) IIII (4%)

2) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (17%)

3) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (50%)

4) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (24%)

5) IIIII (5%)

Analysis: For a new head coach I would expect this to be overwhelmingly more positive, unfortunately it's a pretty neutral feel for Clifford. I expect most fans resolve in Clifford is wearing thin from the start due to the nature of the hiring process, if things start badly it could get ugly quickly.