Charlotte Hornets: Bold predictions for a post-Kemba world
3. Hornets will finish near the bottom of the East
Although the Charlotte Hornets haven’t had much success over the past several seasons, one of the few notable positives was the play of Kemba Walker. First off, Walker has averaged at least 20 points per contest in each of the last three seasons.
Secondly, last season, Walker posted career highs in points (25.6) and assists (5.9). He also shot 43.4 percent from the field (second-best mark of his career) and converted 35.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
https://twitter.com/hornets/status/1063993888753500160?lang=en
Despite being named an All-Star for the third straight year and earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team, the Hornets offered Walker $60 million less than the supermax deal he was eligible for. As a result, Walker opted to sign with the Boston Celtics.
Free agent Kemba Walker has agreed to sign a four-year, $141M maximum contract to join the Boston Celtics, Excel Sports agent Jeff Schwartz tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
On top of that, the Hornets are also without their second-leading scorer in Jeremy Lamb, who signed a three-year deal with the Indiana Pacers. Since the Hornets failed to win 40 games in any of the last three seasons with an All-Star caliber point guard in the fold, the chances of them being in position to contend for a playoff berth next season are slim and none.
Furthermore, considering they have lost their top two scorers, the Hornets will be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.