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NBA: 7 Teams That Should Start To Panic

By Bryce Olin

Nov 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 93-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 93-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford talks with guard Kemba Walker (15) during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 112-87. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford talks with guard Kemba Walker (15) during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 112-87. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Charlotte Hornets

While Al Jefferson continues to prove he’s the best offensive center and, maybe, the best low-post scorer in the game, the Charlotte Hornets prove they’re not capable of producing enough offense to win games consistently.

The Hornets are 22nd in the league in scoring, averaging 96.1 points per game. They desperately need someone other than Jefferson to carry the scoring load. Lance Stephenson, Kemba Walker, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist likely aren’t the answer the Hornets are looking for. They need someone else.

To make matters worse, the Hornets’ defense hasn’t been as good as it was last season, and they’re allowing 99.7 PPG, 17th-best in the league.

It might seem weird, but the Hornets are feeling the effects of letting Josh McRoberts go this offseason. McRoberts was a decent 3-point shooter, and he was a great passer.

Solution: Find a way to get Rajon Rondo.

Unfortunately, I don’t know how the Hornets get better without making a huge trade. There are very few point forwards who can provide the same production that McBob did last season. I don’t know what it would take to get Rondo, but if he was going to sign long-term in Charlotte, the Hornets could easily give up Walker, a first-round pick, and either Cody Zeller or Noah Vonleh, along with a few other pieces to make the contracts work out. Rondo would make the Hornets a contender in the East, no doubt about it.

What Will Actually Happen: The Hornets will ride it out and hope to weather the storm. Charlotte will still be in the playoff chase all season, but it just stinks to watch Jefferson waste another year of scoring dominance on a team that doesn’t have a chance to make it out of the first-round, at least not with the way they’re playing now.

Next: Fixing The Knicks

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