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Predictions For The Southeast Division In 2016-17

By Carter Johnson

Feb 28, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) is defended by Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky III (44) in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 87-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) is defended by Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky III (44) in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 87-76. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 14, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) celebrates after tying the game against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Mavericks won 107-96. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Charlotte Hornets

2015-16 Record: 48-34 (3rd in Southeast Division)
2016-17 Prediction: 40-42 (3rd in Southeast Division) 

A year after the revival of the Hornets name and allure in Charlotte, the team honored their basketball ancestors by winning 48 games and clinching the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The team was led by point guard Kemba Walker, who had a breakout year to the tune of a career-high 20.9 points per game on career-high shooting splits of .427/.371/.847.

Walker emerged as the consummate leader of this Hornets team by playing at an elite level and was in All-Star and Most Improved Player consideration.

The team also got a boost with resurgent years from Nicolas Batum (career-high 14.9 points and 5.8 assists per game) and Jeremy Lin (11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game).

However, the team entered the offseason with four key players in Batum, Lin, Marvin Williams and Courtney Lee all hitting free agency and speculation was that they wouldn’t be able to retain all of them.

That proved true, as Lin left to take a starting job with the Brooklyn Nets and Lee took his talents to the Big Apple as well, signing with the New York Knicks.

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Five players signed past their prime in the second Hornets era
Five players signed past their prime in the second Hornets era /

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    • Lin represents a significant loss in that he was the bulk of their bench production and a big chunk of their scoring overall. Lee was also a legitimate contributor on both ends of the floor with his outside shooting and perimeter defense at the starting 2-guard spot.

    What makes it more significant is that they didn’t really replace either one, as new additions Ramon Sessions and Marco Bellinelli are essentially lesser versions of Lin and Lee.

    It also doesn’t help that they traded away a potentially solid role player in rookie Malachi Richardson to get the latter.

    The team also lost former star player Al Jefferson, who gave them interior scoring despite the fact he didn’t really fit into head coach Steve Clifford’s vision for the new direction of the team’s offense.

    Bringing back Walker and Batum is great for the team’s success going forward, but the fact that they lost some pretty stellar role players and replaced them with mediocre ones will probably cost them a couple wins — and perhaps another playoff appearance — in 2016-17.

    Next: No. 2