The Charlotte Hornets will enter their 2019-20 Training Camp with a ton of questions. Who will take the lead after the departure of Kemba Walker? Will Marvin Williams decide to take a larger role in the offense? Did they make a huge mistake with the selection of Malik Monk and more? With 39 wins last season, the Hornets are set to fall way short of that mark this coming season.
The struggles will be plentiful as the Hornets will take all of camp trying to figure out who leads, who takes the last shot, and how to work as a unit. This is what Training Camp is for but for this group of players, it will be a tough learning process. Not much will be expected of the Hornets this season except finding a way to rid themselves of those unwanted contracts (Biyombo, Batum) and really begin that rebuilding process.
Here are 4 burning questions ahead of Training Camp for the Charlotte Hornets
Who Takes The Load
With Kemba Walker off to the Boston Celtics, the Charlotte Hornets were in desperate need of a leader. But who would that distinction fall to? Can they look to Marvin Williams or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist? With both players having tenure, they just might fit into that slot out of necessity. The Hornets will return two of their only players to average double-digits in scoring from 2018. That will be Williams (10.1 points) and Cody Zeller (10.1 points). That's not much to cheer about.
The Hornets have no choice but to tie their hopes to recently acquired PG Terry Rozier. What's heartbreaking about the decision is that Rozier's career has been a sparkplug off the bench since entering the league in 2016. What the Hornets need is a reliable scorer. Even with Walker leading the charge, the Hornets still finished 19th in points scored. Now what?
Are The Hornets Done Dealing
While the NBA trade deadline isn't until February, the Hornets should be thinking about moves now. Their first order of business is getting rid of Batum. Why are they paying a player who has averaged just 12.8 points for them since coming over in 2015? The problem is, nobody wants to take on that contract. Another issue is Bismack Biyombo. Buried deep in the depth chart, the Hornets elected to take his huge contract off the hands of the Orlando Magic in which they used to help turn themselves into a playoff team.
There will be no winning for the Hornets until they can fix the real issues within the organization. Are they done dealing? Maybe. It's not like they want to keet certain payers. They would love to rid themselves of high contract bench warmers. It's up to Mitch Kupchak to hit the phones hard. The issue is, there may not be many takers for what they are looking to unload. At the end of the season, the Hornets will be forced to look for buyouts.
What Are Expectations For Season
How does a team let their best player go while getting in return a player who has averaged 7.7 points per game while coming off the bench? Rozier can ball, but can he be a leader? The concerns regarding the leadership in the front office will continue as it appears that Michael Jordan is better served suiting up on the court than he is wearing one off. The Hornets will have no shot at the playoffs and will again find themselves in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Last season, the Charlotte Hornets won 39 games. This coming season, they should be happy with 20. During Training Camp, James Borrego must not put any extra pressure on this unit as their own expectations should be tapered. The Hornets won't rank high in any offensive category. Their defense will finish middle of the pack but this will be one of those seasons where it's best to clean house and hit reset.
What 5 Players Deserve To Start
Of course, Terry Rozier gets the nod as PG. He's the best player on the roster and will provide a spark but can he do it over the course of 82 games? His partner in the backcourt will either be Nicholas Batum or Malik Monk. The Hornets will probably slide with Batum, not because of production, but due to his high salary. The SF position will be a toss-up between Dwayne Bacon and Kidd-Gilchrist. Neither player brings much to the table.
Rounding out the frontcourt still brings mystery. Will the Hornets elect to go with youth at PF with Miles Bridges over Williams? Williams has been a quiet leader on the team but his offensive game lacks substance. Bridges is young, athletic, and hungry and there is hope he can push forward with more than 6.4 shot attempts per game. In the middle, there is no debate there. Cody Zeller has earned the job and he's by far the toughest player on the team. His toughness is needed but he must get comfortable scoring the ball.
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