Charlotte Hornets: 5 Best Decisions Of 2015
By Jon Shames
2015 saw numerous changes for the Charlotte Hornets; here’s a look back at their best decisions of the calendar year.
For the Charlotte Hornets, 2015 was a big year.
On Jan. 1, this team was 10-23 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Lance Stephenson was still believed to be a long-term fit in Charlotte, and Al Jefferson was still the most important player on the roster.
January brought adversity to Charlotte in the form of injuries to both Stephenson and Jefferson, but the Hornets kept chugging. When Kemba Walker — who had averaged 27 points per game in January to keep Charlotte’s playoff hopes alive — had to undergo knee surgery, the Hornets kept chugging.
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When the playoffs began in late April and every player on Charlotte’s roster watched from the couch, it appeared as though the Hornets were destined to remain a perennial lottery team, the way the Bobcats had been for so many seasons before.
But of course, the Hornets kept chugging, and management made a commitment to shed cancerous parts and continue to push for the playoffs. Thusly, Charlotte was one of the association’s most active clubs in the 2015 offseason, and its activity has yielded unexpected success in the early stages of this season.
The 17-13 Hornets are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference, but sit just four games out of first place. This team finally looks like a legitimate playoff squad, and Rich Cho and Michael Jordan, the two puppet masters working from the front office, are due much thanks for the impressive turnaround.
With that, here’s a look back at the five best moves Charlotte made in the 2015 calendar year.
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