Hornets Near the Bottom of Bleacher Report's NBA Power Rankings
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report becomes the latest NBA analyst to have little faith in the Charlotte Hornets' chances in 2023-24, ranking them No. 27 in his latest NBA power rankings.
"The Charlotte Hornets still haven't re-signed restricted free agent P.J. Washington, but it looks like he'll be back (even if he plays on the one-year qualifying offer). That's the contractual circumstance under which Miles Bridges is returning.
"So, this year's Hornets might look a bit more like the 2021-22 team. That season, Charlotte was plus-5.2 points per 100 possessions when Ball played with both Washington and Bridges.
"This group now boasts some upside in the form of Brandon Miller's outside shooting and Mark Williams' rim protection. If everyone lives up to their potential, this group might even compete for a play-in spot, but that feels like the "if everything breaks right" scenario.
"The downside includes Ball and Gordon Hayward struggling to stay healthy, Terry Rozier taking a ton of shots at below-average efficiency and Bridges and Washington coloring outside the lines in contract years. In that scenario, Charlotte might wind up with another high lottery pick."
There is legitimate concern when it comes to the overall ability for the key parts of this roster to remain healthy for an entire season, but I don't understand why so many folks are so low on this group.
Last year was a throw away due to all the injuries and the two years prior to that, they were in the Play-In Tournament with essentially the same roster.
Are they a top-15 caliber team? No.
But bottom five? Absolutely not.
When you combine the potential of the two youngsters Mark Williams and Brandon Miller along with the return of Miles Bridges, a healthy LaMelo Ball, and the renewed focus/approach on the defensive end of the floor, I don't see a scenario in which this team finishes the season in a position to pick in the top five.
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