Charlotte Bobcats: Where Will They Be In 2014-15
By John Hugar
When the current Charlotte Bobcats become the Charlotte Hornets, will they be playoff contenders?
This week, we received some major news about the Charlotte Bobcats: They won’t be the Bobcats for a whole lot longer. Yes, Charlotte is going back to its roots, and reinstating the Hornets name, now that the franchise in New Orleans that once was the Charlotte Hornets has been rechristened the Pelicans.
People are excited about this for obvious reasons. The Hornets were one of the coolest NBA teams of the 1990s, with Starter jackets and snapbacks bearing their logo being worn by just about everyone. They were also an incredibly fun team to watch, with young stars such as Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning electrifying the league. You could see why the Bobcats/Hornets organization would want to bring back this moniker, considering all the glory it represents, as well as all the considerable lack of buzz for the name “Bobcats.” The change is merely superficial, however, and won’t improve team performance, regardless of how much the marketing department may wish to convince you otherwise. So, when the Bobcats transform into the Hornets in the summer of 2014, what state will they be in?
The prognosis is actually rather positive. While the Bobcats have been near the bottom of the league for quite some time now, they appear to be on the upswing. They have one of the best young point guards in the league in Kemba Walker and they made a considerable upgrade to their front court by signing Al Jefferson to a three-year deal. Neither of these things are likely to bring them into the top eight in just one season, but they are on the road to being in a good spot when they begin their first year as the Hornets.
Where the Bobcats/Hornets land in next year’s draft could be key to determining their future. The 2014 NBA Draft is widely expected to be one of the most loaded drafts in NBA history, with stars such as Andrew Wiggins, Andrew Harrison, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, and Mitch McGary all looming as potential lottery picks. If the Bobcats land in the lottery — and they likely will — they’ll have a shot at adding another star to their roster and looking a lot more like a serious playoff contender.
Ironicaly, however, that puts them in an awkward position for this coming season. The Bobcats don’t seem good enough for a playoff spot — not with teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons taking big steps forward in this offseason — but they also don’t seem like the 20-win team they were last year. The worst-case scenario going forward for the Bobcats is that they win 30 to 35 games, miss the playoffs and miss out on a prime lottery spot, too. The draft is deep enough that they still could get a quality player, but they’d still be missing out on the superstars of the 2014 class.
In spite of that concern, however, this team is trending in a positive direction. They have a lot of young talent that will only get better and Jefferson is one of the best offensive centers in the NBA. My guess is this team will miss the playoffs next year and make their move back into the top eight in 2014-15, just in time for their return as the Hornets.