Kidd-Gilchrist suffered the injury during preseason, resulting in his being sidelined for some four months. As a result the Hornets wasted no time signing him to a new deal this summer, with the sides agreeing to a five-year, $120 million deal.į: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) Kidd-Gilchrist, who worked extremely hard to reform a shooting stroke that was the subject of a great amount of ridicule, played just seven games last season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. One of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA, Batum also led the Hornets in assists and was a quality scoring option on the wing. G/F: Nicolas Batum (14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.8 apg) In his first season with the Hornets after being traded from Portland, Batum made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. That being said, Walker shot just 42.7 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three, and improvement in those areas would make him an even tougher player for opponents to defend. G: Kemba Walker (20.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.2 apg) Walker led the Hornets in scoring and was second in assists last season, as he continues to navigate the balance between hunting for his own looks and setting up his teammates. One of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA, Nicolas Batum represented France in the Rio Olympics (Getty) Here’s a look at the roster: Hornets Projected Starting Lineup Ranked in the top ten in both offensive (ninth) and defensive (eighth) efficiency last season, Charlotte still has room for growth as they look to challenge the likes of Cleveland, Toronto and Boston in the East. Guards Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum should once again lead the way offensively, with Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller among those providing the front court scoring. But those are areas the Hornets front office made sure to address, and with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist healthy after playing in just seven games last season this is a team that has the tools needed to advance once in the playoffs. That being said, the Hornets have some personnel losses to account for as well with Al Jefferson and Jeremy Lin both moving on. With the Heat looking drastically different, as Dwyane Wade is in Chicago and Chris Bosh is out after failing his pre-camp physical, and the Hawks losing Al Horford to free agency, the door may have opened for the Hornets to grab control of the Southeast. The Hornets increased their win total by 15 games, winning a share of the Southeast Division title before falling to the Heat in seven games in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Kemba Walker and the Hornets look to build on last year’s playoff appearance (Getty)Īfter winning just 33 games in Steve Clifford’s first season as head coach in 2014-15, the Charlotte Hornets made significant strides last season.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |