To recap the 2023-24 fantasy basketball season, let’s review and analyze the impact players on the Charlotte Hornets had.
Charlotte Hornets Fantasy Basketball 2023-24 Season Review
LaMelo Ball
Injuries are the story of LaMelo Ball’s career thus far. In 2023-24, he played a career-low 22 games as ankle issues sidelined him again. He’s only played 55+ games once, back in 2021-22. He played his last match on January 26th and was officially shut down in March. In the little time managers enjoyed him, Ball was an elite playmaker and ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in assists. Likewise, he racked up steals, his average placing fifth in the league. The 22-year-old shined most on the offensive end, producing excellent value in points, threes, and free-throw percentage. As a six-foot-seven point guard, he also used his height and hustle to make a solid contribution in the rebounding column. However, Ball struggled to convert shots efficiently, had a minimal impact in blocks, and was prone to turnovers. The one-time All-Star lost the ball five or more times in six contests (27% of games) and ranked fourth in the NBA in turnovers.
- Stats: 23.9 PPG, 8.0 APG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.2 3PM, 3.8 TOV, 43/36/87, 22 GP
- Categories rank: 22
- Points rank: 22
Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges returned to the court in November after missing last season and the first 10 games of 2023-24 due to a domestic violence case. He had a breakout season in 2021-22, but after sitting out for the entirety of the following year, managers were unsure what to expect. Bridges ended up hitting the ground running. While his categories rank dropped 26 spots compared to the last season he played, he still made a significant fantasy impact. He also faced an increased workload, as Ball missed most of the year. One of the forward’s best categories was points, as the scoring burden was placed on him. He was also a strong three-point scorer, free throw shooter, and rebounder. He wasn’t a standout playmaker but still dished out a decent number of assists. Bridge’s numbers defensively weren’t eye-popping either, but they were enough to have some impact. His worst categories were turnovers and field goal percentage, a common punt pairing.
- Stats: 21.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 7.3 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.3 3PM, 2.0 TOV, 46/35/83, 69 GP
- Categories rank: 57
- Points rank: 58
Mark Williams
Sophomore Mark Williams was on his way to having a solid season before a back injury derailed his year. Managers are still haunted by the doubtful tag that followed the center game after game. His last appearance was December 2, yet he was never officially ruled out for the season. Notably, he also appeared in only 43 contests in his first year pro. On a positive note, Williams improved in every fantasy category from his rookie year except for threes, as he’s never attempted one. The 22-year-old contributed offensively in other ways, notably in field goal percentage. His high efficiency made this his top category, but he also thrived in rebounds, blocks, and low turnovers. He was a decent source of points and almost averaged a double-double in points and rebounds. For a big man, Williams was also better than most at his position in steals, even averaging nearly two stocks per game.
- Stats: 12.7 PPG, 1.2 APG, 9.7 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 0.0 3PM, 0.9 TOV, 65/-/72, 19 GP
- Categories rank: 60
- Points rank: 80
Brandon Miller
The Hornets opted to select Brandon Miller in the 2023 NBA Draft, a move that paid off. The rookie came off the bench to start the season but was quickly inserted into the starting lineup, where he appeared 68 times. Overall, he had a very promising first-year campaign. Miller was most impactful for fantasy in the offensive categories: points, threes, and free throw percentage. The forward was known to have some off-scoring nights but also endured hot stretches. He wasn’t very efficient from the floor and was prone to turnovers, but these struggles are common with rookies. He wasn’t much of a playmaker and was more reliable as a scorer. On the other end, the 21-year-old offered solid numbers in rebounds and stocks. The injury bug allowed the Hornets to test out Miller, who finished third in the Rookie of the Year race.
- Stats: 17.3 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.3 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 2.5 3PM, 1.8 TOV, 44/37/83, 74 GP
- Categories rank: 116
- Points rank: 108
Nick Richards
Backup Nick Richards earned the starting center spot for the Hornets while Williams was sidelined for most of the season. As a result, the big man posted career-highs in several categories. Most notable was his ultra-efficiency from the floor, raising his percentage by just over 6.2 points from 2022-23 to nearly 70%. However, the 26-year-old provided little else offensively aside from field goal percentage. He averaged just under double-digit points, rarely got assists, contributed no threes, and wasn’t very effective at the foul line. As a center, he was a great producer in the rebounding and block columns. He didn’t turn over the ball much, either. Still, Richards earned the best category league fantasy ranking of his career thanks to his increased role, 59 spots higher than his previous best.
- Stats: 9.7 PPG, 0.8 APG, 8.0 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 0.0 3PM, 1.1 TOV, 69/0/74, 67 GP
- Categories rank: 140
- Points rank: 153
Tre Mann
Before being dealt to the Hornets at the trade deadline, Tre Mann had virtually zero fantasy relevance with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He went from having a minimal role in Oklahoma City to starting all 28 games he played in Charlotte. Many managers were quick to snatch the guard off the waivers after he posted some near-triple doubles in his first few games with his new team. However, his production faltered and he was inconsistent after a promising start. Still, with the injury bug plaguing the Hornets, Mann received a heavy workload. The main category he stood out in was steals. With Charlotte, he also had solid contributions to the primary categories. His accuracy from the field and charity stripe were effective, and his turnovers weren’t too high. The 23-year-old wasn’t a big three-point scorer, but his worst stat was blocks.
- Stats: 9.3 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 1.1 3PM, 1.6 TOV, 46/37/76, 41 GP
- Categories rank: 168
- Points rank: 167
Other Hornets
–Grant Williams: categories rank: 215/points rank: 195
–Cody Martin: categories rank: 229/points rank: 189
–Davis Bertans: categories rank: 281/points rank: 329
–Marques Bolden: categories rank: 332/points rank: 355
–Aleksej Pokusevski: categories rank: 336/points rank: 325
–Seth Curry: categories rank: 356/points rank: 367
–Vasilije Micic: categories rank: 358/points rank: 271
–Bryce McGowens: categories rank: 401/points rank: 374
–JT Thor: categories rank: 414/points rank: 399
–Nick Smith Jr.: categories rank: 428/points rank: 387
Category rankings from Basketball Monster
Points rankings based on ESPN’s default system
