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Which Hornets Players Have the Most to Prove?

Five Hornets players that have more to prove than others this season.

Austin Leake

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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The last couple of seasons haven't been kind to the Charlotte Hornets, especially to some of their key players, LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams. This could be a vital season for the Hornets' player development, even more so because of the new coaching staff in place led by Charles Lee. With disappointments in the past years, it leaves a lot to prove for this upcoming season, especially for key players like Ball, Williams, and Bridges. Below are the five players I believe have the most to prove in this upcoming 2024-25 season.

1. LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

A couple of years ago if i wrote a piece on LaMelo Ball having something to prove, then I probably would've laughed at myself and deleted it. However, the truth is the 23-year-old has the most to prove out of anyone on the roster. Ball simply hasn't been on the court and the community on the outside, whether it's Hornets fans or fans who follow the league, have begun to take notice of the big chunk of games missed over the past two seasons. Ball is beginning to be labeled as "injury prone" and "not a winning player" by many media outlets, which is fair considering he hasn't played more than 50 games across the last two seasons.

Tim MacMahon, an analyst for ESPN is one of the many media outlets to have been critical of Ball. Below was a recent video that surfaced of MacMahon dissing Ball on a podcast.

On top of that, Ball's injuries over the last couple of seasons have been so common that NBA2K25 has an injury animation for him.

With all of that in mind, there is no doubt that Ball has plenty to prove around the league as the media continues to spread their thoughts on him. Everyone knows the player that he is and can be, but it's really the ability to stay on the court and the attention to detail on the defensive side that Ball has to find to become a complete player to put the doubters to rest. Can Ball prove everyone wrong this season and become one of the top premier guards in the league?

2. Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

To no surprise, I have Miles Bridges as one of the Hornets players with the most to prove this upcoming season. With the off-court situation getting situated in the past year, Bridges can begin to start fully focusing on basketball and getting the Hornets on the right track. He was rewarded a three-year, $75 million deal this summer after some mixed reports weren't sure if the 26-year-old would be returning to the team.

Bridges had career highs in points per game, three-pointers made per game, and rebounds per game. One of the areas where Hornets fans are looking for the forward to improve is on the defensive end as there were many lapses last season on that side of the ball. It was one of the major question marks for a team that already struggles defensively, but the Hornets seem to trust in Bridges and his ability to hold it down on defense. After his newly inked deal and the off-court drama that he and Hornets fans had to go through, he is most likely going to have to prove that he was worth the contract and a part of the team, which makes this season really important to Bridges, especially if he is wanting to get his full support back in the Queen City.

3. Tre Mann

Tre Mann
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Why Tre Mann you may ask? Well, simply Mann is in a contract year as he will be a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Mann played in just 28 games with the Hornets as he was dealt to the team at the trade deadline in February. This year is crucial for not just Mann's season, but also his career, as this year could set himself up positively or negatively based on how he performs. Mann averaged a career-high in points, assists, rebounds, and steals with the Hornets. With a potential payday looming for the 23-year-old, this season becomes very important as Mann will most likely be playing a six-man role behind LaMelo Ball, while next to Vasilije Micic.

His 28 appearances last season were a decent sample size, but with a full season and a definite role ahead of him, it will be intriguing to see how it plays out and how much of an impact he makes on this young Hornets squad. With the Hornets likely having to pay Mark Williams and Brandon Miller in the coming years, Mann will have to make a significant impact for the Hornets to retain him in free agency next summer unless the team decides to give him a contract extension before the season.

4. Mark Williams

Mark Williams
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

You had to know Mark Williams was going to be a part of this list as one of the five players since he missed an extended period with a back injury in the 2023-24 season. Back injuries and players over seven feet tall just don't go very well together, to say the least. Greg Oden, Andrew Bynum, Bill Walton, and Yao Ming are some seven-footers who were plagued with back injuries that derailed their career.

Williams hasn't played in a game since December 8th versus the Raptors where he re-aggravated his lower back injury. 62 career games is all Williams has played in his two seasons with the Hornets, but in his rookie campaign, he only missed time due to the Hornets' log jam at the center position with Mason Plumlee and Nick Richards ahead of him in the rotation. Across the two seasons, Williams has proved to be a reliable center for the Hornets with his ability to defend the interior and be a lob threat on the offensive side. This will be a key season for Williams to see if he's fully recovered from his back injury after he avoided surgery. As well, as to see if he is still the same double-double machine player he was before injury.

5. Cody Martin

Cody Martin
Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

There were multiple players that I could've put here at No. 5, but I think one of the most forgotten players with the most to prove on the roster is Cody Martin.

Martin, is similar to Ball in that he has struggled with multiple injuries throughout the past two seasons. He was rewarded a 4 year $32 million deal in the summer of 2022 before having a meniscus injury that required surgery, which seemed to spark the downfall of Martin. He appeared in just 28 games for the team this past season, which is two games less than Vasilije Micic, who was traded to the Hornets in February.

Martin, who is commonly known for his defense has faltered more on the offensive side than usual since his new contract deal in 2022. He hasn't shot higher than 31% from three in the last two years, meaning this season will be a true test for the 28-year-old as he will have a key role off the bench. An aspect that can't be forgotten is that the Hornets' top draft pick Tidjane Salaun will be looking for rotation minutes this year and Cody Martin just so happens to be playing the forward position off the bench, which Salaun should challenge for. If Martin has another injury or doesn't step up his play, then the 19-year-old will be knocking on the door for those minutes soon enough.

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Austin Leake
AUSTIN LEAKE

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