{"id":10019,"date":"2017-09-25T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=10019"},"modified":"2017-10-06T14:49:27","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T18:49:27","slug":"charlotte-hornets-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/09\/25\/charlotte-hornets-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Countdown To NBA Tip-Off: Charlotte Hornets Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Charlotte Hornets<\/a> took a step back last season as they stumbled their way to a 36-46 record, finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference. After the franchise\u2019s winningest season in 14 years and Steve Clifford<\/strong>\u2019s second playoff berth in 2015-16, the Hornets struggled to find consistency in 2016-17 after losing Jeremy Lin<\/a><\/strong>, Al Jefferson<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0and Courtney Lee<\/a><\/strong> in free agency. Charlotte will look to bounce back and return to the playoffs in an Eastern Conference that has changed quite a bit since last season.\u00a0Here is the 2017-18 Charlotte Hornets season preview.<\/span><\/p>\n

Countdown To NBA Tip-Off: Charlotte Hornets Season Preview<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What Worked Last Season<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After a great 2015-16 season, expectations were fairly high for Charlotte last year. A second straight playoff appearance at the very least, right? And through December, it looked like the Hornets were in a good position to do just that. Kemba Walker<\/a> <\/strong>continued to creep his way up top point guard lists, making his first All-Star appearance. However, after starting 20-16, the Hornets collapsed. They went 16-30 over the remainder of the season,\u00a0ending it on a five-game losing streak that essentially cost them a playoff spot. <\/span><\/p>\n

The bright spot<\/span>, though, was Walker. The seventh-year point guard posted career-highs in three-point percentage (shooting nearly 40 percent), field goal percentage, and total points<\/a>, as well as offensive and defensive rating per 100 possessions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On top of all the individual success, Walker orchestrated one of the NBA\u2019s most disciplined offensive units. Charlotte committed fewer turnovers<\/a> than any other team in the league last season, a feat that the Hornets have now accomplished in all four of Clifford\u2019s seasons as head coach. Walker\u2019s average of\u00a02.1 turnovers per game <\/a>was lower than 25 other point guards last year, and it was the best among all of the 2017 All-Star guards. <\/span><\/p>\n

Charlotte remained disciplined on the other side of t<\/span>he floor, as well, committing fewer personal fouls than any other team in the NBA<\/a>. Consequently, the Hornets allowed the fewest number of free throw attempts and makes last season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What Needs Improvement<\/b><\/h3>\n

Even though Charlotte didn\u2019t foul all that much on the defensive end, it didn\u2019t mean their defense was all that good. Although they were middle of the pack in overall defensive rating (14th), Charlotte struggled to defend the three. Teams attempted and made more three-pointers <\/a>against the Hornets than they did against anyone else. Given that the game is shifting further and further outside the arc, this is something that Charlotte needs to fix immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

The loss of Al Jefferson hurt Charlotte in one major area above all else: rebounding. Without a reliable big man to crash the boards, the Hornets were\u00a0down across all major rebounding categories.<\/a> Most notably, Charlotte was 26th in offensive rebounds, which limited the team’s ability to extend possessions and create second-chance opportunities. <\/span><\/p>\n

Off-Season Changes<\/b><\/h3>\n
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\ud83d\ude4c OFFICIAL \ud83d\ude4c Welcome to #BuzzCity<\/a> @DwightHoward<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Press Release: https:\/\/t.co\/L2fcv1ZZGH<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MotCVkY7Nl<\/a><\/p>\n

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 21, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n