Charlotte Hornets: 5 biggest disappointments from 2017-18 NBA season

The Charlotte Hornets went 36-46 in 2017-18 and once again missed the playoffs. That was one of a few disappointments this season.

The Charlotte Hornets were 36-46 under head coach Steve Clifford in 2017-18. Call it another forgettable season, even after the additions of center Dwight Howard and rookies Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon in the offseason.

Cody Zeller was bitten by the injury bug this season, as was Nicolas Batum. Zeller appeared in just 33 games for the Hornets with zero starts. Batum appeared in 64 games, but his offense regressed.

By February, star point guard Kemba Walker was on the trade block. Hornets majority owner Michael Jordan ultimately denied the rumors but they had life up until the very end of the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline.

Walker wasn’t traded, obviously, but it makes for an interesting offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. They were a top 10 scoring team on offense in the NBA this season, averaging 108.2 points per game. Their defense, on the other hand, the same as last season, allowing 108.0 points per game. In short, they were a long distance away from ESPN’s preseason projection of 44.1 wins. 

It’s back to the drawing board for Charlotte with a new general manager already in place, Mitch Kupchak. Hopefully, Kupchak can turn things around or the Hornets could find themselves without their All-Star point guard in the near future. Here’s a look at the five biggest disappointments from 2017-18.