Charlotte Hornets: 5 keys to making the playoffs
The Charlotte Hornets have not landed in the postseason since the 2015-16 season. What do they need to improve to punch their ticket this season?
Making the playoffs isn’t a given for the Charlotte Hornets as they currently hold the 8 seed with a 28-32 record.
The Detroit Pistons are making some noise, the Miami Heat are still lurking and the Orlando Magic have won eight of their last nine games to become part of the mix for a playoff spot as well.
The Hornets have been a curious case this year.
They grabbed control of the division early, partly due to the woes of the Washington Wizards, and put up 3-pointers at a blistering pace. The months of October, November and December saw the organization finish with a .500 record each month with January being their first month finishing with a below-.500 record.
They had a rough start to the 2019 calendar year losing five of their first six games of the year as well as losing Cody Zeller to a hand injury, but they righted the ship in February and have gotten their star center back.
A slump from star Kemba Walker contributed as well, but he looks like he may have re-gained his shooting stroke just before the All-Star break.
The Hornets haven’t had to deal with any major injuries outside of Cody Zeller, though Jeremy Lamb did miss a small stretch of time. This gave James Borrego a good look at rookie Devonte Graham and sophomore Malik Monk as well as Dwayne Bacon. The only big mark is that they did not make any moves at the trade deadline.
Despite all the ups and downs, the Charlotte Hornets have somehow put together a team that can compete for a playoff spot and may be able to win the division for the first time in franchise history. They can thank, in part, the weakened Southeast Division for some of this, but they have shown flashes of potential throughout the year.
So what will it take for the Hornets to get back to the playoffs? Let’s look at five areas for the team to focus on in the last third of the season.