3 realistic goals for Charlotte Hornets in 2021 NBA Playoffs

1. Give the young core its first playoff run together

This expands a bit more on what a playoff run does besides increasing the brand awareness of exciting Hornets basketball. For a young and up-and-coming team, you cannot put a price on any postseason experience, no matter how short-lived it may be. While the Hornets will benefit from playing at least one play-in tournament game, getting a first-round series would be big for them.

By getting past the Pacers and the loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game between the Celtics and Wizards, the Hornets will have already accomplished so much before their first-round meeting vs. the 76ers. Just getting there will present a very important learning moment, not just what playoff basketball is like for this young team, but where the bar is at when compared to Philadelphia.

While it is exceedingly rare that a No. 1 seed falls to a No. 8 seed in a best-of-seven series, it has happened before. However, the Hornets being a 10th-place finisher knocking off Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the rest of the 76ers would have to be the biggest upset in modern NBA history. All that aside, Charlotte can take their lumps in the first round a year or two early and grow from it.

Ultimately, any postseason experience for an emerging team like Charlotte is a good thing, no matter how badly a juggernaut team like the 76ers kick your collective teeth in. At its core, this is just a taste of what playoff basketball is like for this young group. They might really like playing on this big stage. Dissatisfied with how the year ended vs. Philadelphia, it is a springboard for 2022.

What do you believe are reasonable expectations for the Hornets this postseason?