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Charlotte Hornets 2015 NBA season preview

By Cody Williams

Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (right) listens to Hornets head coach Steve Clifford (left) during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (right) listens to Hornets head coach Steve Clifford (left) during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson (1) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson (1) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Biggest Offseason Move

When the Hornets signed Lance Stephenson in the summer of 2014, everyone was complimentary of the move and thought it would be beneficial to Charlotte in taking another step forward. That couldn’t have been farther from the way things actually played out on the floor.

Stephenson, who was supposed to fit into the defensive-minded style of play while providing an offensive spark, struggled mightily in Charlotte. The wing was abysmally inefficient on the offensive end of the floor and seem less than interested to buying into the defensive system instituted by Steve Clifford and company.

Moreover, Stephenson seemed to have a negative effect on the chemistry of the Hornets that was incredibly impressive the previous year. He was just a bad fit.

Consequently, the Hornets being able to trade Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer is enormous for the Hornets. It gives them at least a chance to recapture some chemistry and recover from making what turned out to be a poor free agency decision.

Biggest Offseason Mistake

As good as getting rid of Stephenson was for the Hornets this season, trading Noah Vonleh to the Portland Trail Blazers was equally as questionable of a move.

The thought-process behind trading a young asset to acquire a proven veteran makes sense in theory, but the move itself just seems strange. Yes, having Batum looks much more important with Kidd-Gilchrist going down, but that doesn’t eradicate the Hornets for giving up a prospect that they didn’t really know what he was capable of in this league yet.

Vonleh played sparingly for the Hornets last season and really spent most of they year continuing to mature into an NBA player. However, he’s looked fantastic in terms of being a young asset while playing for Portland in Summer League and the preseason. No matter how well Batum works out, letting Vonleh go looks like it’s going to sting.

Next: Offensive/Defensive Breakdowns

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