Charlotte Hornets: 2017-18 NBA season preview

The Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs last season, but if everyone does their job, they should see postseason action again in 2017-18.

The Charlotte Hornets appear to be on the cusp of being one player away from being a contender. Last season, they missed the playoffs with a 36-46 record. Not only did they not see the postseason, the Hornets won 12 fewer games than the previous season.

The Hornets were three spots out of contention, finishing 11th in the standings. After missing the playoffs, Clifford put it succinctly: “You are what your record says you are.”

For the 2017-18 season, there’s no reason that Charlotte should continue on a downward trajectory. In fact, in a weak Eastern Conference, the Hornets should find themselves back in the playoffs.

With the acquisitions of Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon, Charlotte is a much better team than it was last season. Nonetheless, the onus is on each player to improve if the Hornets want to make it past the first round.

This season will show that the Hornets are no longer trying to just secure a playoff berth, but rather they are making a serious playoff push, for a shot at the Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s a sneak peek at what the Charlotte Hornets have in store for the 2017-18 season.

2016-17 Vitals

36-46, 4th in Southeast Division, 11th in Eastern Conference
104.9 PPG (16th)/104.7 OPP PPG (13th)
106.4 Offensive Rating/106.1 Defensive Rating

Team Leaders

Scoring:  Kemba Walker, 23.2 PPG
Rebounding:  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 7.0 RPG
Assists:  Nicolas Batum, 5.9 APG
Steals:  Nicolas Batum, 1.12 SPG
Blocks:  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 0.95 BPG

Honors

All-Star:  Kemba Walker