Charlotte Hornets 2015 NBA season preview
4th. player. 170. <ul> <li>33-49 record</li> <li>Missed playoffs</li> <li>Won 9<sup>th</sup> Pick in NBA Draft Lottery</li> </ul>. 4th place. Southeast Division. Charlotte Hornets
Success is measured on different levels throughout the NBA. For some organizations, a season can only be considered a success if they win an NBA Championship; their success is tallied in titles. The Charlotte Hornets are not one of those organizations.
There were big expectations heading into last season and for good reason. For one, the organization finally ditched the Bobcats moniker that had long been associated with shortcomings and losing for so long to bring back the Hornets nickname that’s rich with history in the NBA. Moreover, the team was coming off a postseason berth in the 2013-14 season.
However, things didn’t work out quite as well as hoped for the Hornets. The loss of Josh McRoberts in the offseason seemed to throw off the chemistry of the team, which was only heightened by the arrival of Lance Stephenson from free agency. Between a disrupted sense of chemistry throughout the team, some key players failing to progress, and injuries littered throughout the season, the 2014-15 season ultimately ended as a disappointment for the Hornets as they found themselves outside the playoffs and back in the NBA Draft Lottery.
All hope was not lost for the Hornets heading into the preseason as the front office was active in the offseason to improve the team. With the addition of Frank Kaminsky through the draft, trading Stephenson out of Charlotte, locking up Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with a four-year extension, and adding key players like Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin, training camp and the preseason held a renewed sense of promise for the Hornets.
All of that hope and promise again came crashing down early in the preseason, though, when Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a shoulder injury that will likely force him to miss the entire 2015-16 season.
Entering his fourth season, there are still critics of MKG because of his limited offensive abilities and perceived lack of impact as a No. 2 overall pick in 2012. However, he’s the backbone of this team’s defense and has been making notable progressions in every season in terms of his offensive game every year he’s been in the league. The loss of Kidd-Gilchrist has seemingly taken the air out of the Hornets coming into the season.
Yet the season will go on, even without MKG, for the Hornets. This is everything that you need to know about the Charlotte Hornets heading into the 2015-16 season.
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