I'm looking for a little info on your team

[jazzfan1971]

I'm starting up my offseason preview and wanted to get some info and feedback from you guys before I got going.

So, I come to you folks.

How do you see your depth chart breaking down?
What are the major story lines to your team this year?
How do you think you will finish record wise in the league? (what place? 1-30)
Tell me a little about your coaching situation.

Thanks in advance.

[MPM]

Others may debate, but depth chart:

Walker/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Hendo/Neal/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
Jefferson/Biyombo/Zeller

[MPM]

Story lines:

I would say THE major story line is how Stephenson fits in. How he plays with Kemba, if he can continue to improve his 3 pt game to keep the D off of Al, if he can keep his head straight so that he makes us a real threat in the East.

Second to this, I would say the development of MKG (primarily) and Zeller. MKG has to improve for this team to take the next step, and seeing how raw Vonleh is, Zeller has to show he can log significant minutes.

Other than that some minor sub stories - how will Hendo perform/react being moved to the bench? How much can we realistically expect from Williams as a starting 4? etc.

[amcoolio]

I think there is still a trade coming. But as of now:

Kemba Walker (34 minutes) / Brian Roberts (14 minutes) / Pargo (Inactive)
Lance Stephenson (36 minutes) / Gerald Henderson (4 minutes) / Gary Neal (8 minutes) / P.J. Hairston (Inactive)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (30 minutes) / Gerald Henderson (14 minutes) / Jeffery Taylor (4 minutes)
Marvin Williams (24 minutes) / Cody Zeller (14 minutes) / Noah Vonleh (10 minutes) / Josh Davis (Inactive)
Al Jefferson (34 minutes) / Bismack Biyombo (14 minutes)


Basically one of Neal/Taylor has to go, but they'll probably wait til midseason to see if Taylor can turn it around. Neal has supposively worked very hard this summer and looks great (per Kemba Walker).

I think we have enough depth now to relax on Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker's minutes to not totally use them up before the playoffs. I think you'll see several 40 minute games out of Lance. He'll be our leader in minutes played and will play with MKG and with Henderson most of the time.

Marvin will likely start and then only play the ends of halves. I think they forcefeed Vonleh about 10 minutes a game and maybe play him with Zeller if Biz doesn't improve any.

[HornetJail]

I'll let plenty of other people answer this, but here's my answers to your questions:

Depth chart:
Jefferson [32]/Biyombo [16]/____
Williams [24]/Zeller [16]/Vonleh [8]
MKG [32]/Henderson [16]/Taylor
Stephenson [32]/Henderson [8]/Hairston [8]/Neal
Walker [32]/Roberts [16]/Pargo

Story lines:
-Young up-and-coming team looking to win in the present and the future. Jefferson's the old guy at 29, but the rest of the core is 24 and below (Kemba, Lance, MKG, Biyombo, Zeller, Vonleh, Hairston) while the rest of the role players are older vets.
-Defense is going to be our calling card. We're adding Lance Stephenson and another year of experience for our young core to a top 5-7 defense.
-The power forward rotation is just weird. Marvin Williams figures to start the season as the starting PF, but can Zeller or Vonleh play their way in the starting lineup?
-Can MKG, Biyombo, Zeller, and Vonleh make the next step in their offensive games and become respectable?
-Does Kemba make the leap from good point guard to great point guard with all this talent around him?
-How does Steve Clifford control Lance Stephenson and PJ Hairston in the locker room?
-How does Steve Clifford build on an impressive debut season as a coach?
-How does the name change affect the team and the crowd? Are people flocking to Hornets games again?
-How far up do the Hornets go in the East? With a wide open Eastern Conference this season, are they one of the top teams?

Record-wise, I think we could be anywhere from 8th to 3rd in the East, winning anywhere from 40 to 50 games. 40 would be a flop of a season, a step back, while 50 would be amazing- putting us among the elite teams in the East. I'd say 13th in the league, because we still wouldn't make the playoffs out West.

Coaching:
We're thrilled with Steve Clifford. He did a better job than I could have imagined last season, and he kept saying that we were "only doing the basics" while improving our offense every month and maintaining a top 10 defense all season long, with quite honestly, very few defensive players on the roster. With improved personnel and gameplan, I'm really excited to see what Coach Big Red Dog has in store for us.

Good luck, I'm eager to see your write-up.

[amcoolio]

Main story line: Lance will explode and a lot of attention will be on how Indiana screwed up letting him go. I can totally see a Harden-like leap from Lance switching teams, especially if Al stays healthy. He'll be an all star, likely our only one as I'd prefer to conserve Kemba and Al for the playoffs. He'll average 20 points or more, 5 rebounds, and 5+ assists, on great efficiency while also playing defense. Lots of Stephenson Hornets jerseys will be sold and it will be a popular jersey nationwide. MJ will sign him away from And1 and market him like a star.

Record: I think we'll finish 49-33 but still be a 5th seed in the East barring any Al Jefferson injury. The East is much, much improved, but so are we. Miami, Washington and Charlotte all fight it out til the last week for the division but Miami takes it with 51 wins, a good season on their part for losing Lebron and everything. Washington ties Charlotte at 49 wins but wins a tiebreaker. Charlotte vs. Washington in round 1 of the playoffs.

Coaching: We are in excellent shape. Clifford is a natural leader that players love but is also intimidating. We really lucked out with this hire. Our defense will be top 5 again as Kemba-Lance-MKG is a ridiculously athletic backcourt that locks most teams down.

[KingExecutive]

Story lines:

I would say THE major story line is how Stephenson fits in. How he plays with Kemba, if he can continue to improve his 3 pt game to keep the D off of Al, if he can keep his head straight so that he makes us a real threat in the East.

Second to this, I would say the development of MKG (primarily) and Zeller. MKG has to improve for this team to take the next step, and seeing how raw Vonleh is, Zeller has to show he can log significant minutes.

Other than that some minor sub stories - how will Hendo perform/react being moved to the bench? How much can we realistically expect from Williams as a starting 4? etc.

McRoberts leaving for Miami: How will our team recover some of the playmaking that McRoberts brought the offense

[Hornet Mania]

Everybody has covered most of the storylines, but in my opinion the biggest one is this: Will Charlotte's love affair with the Hornets be renewed?

The Hornets were an iconic franchise of the early 90s not only because of their colors but also because of the fanatical reputation of the local fan base. The Hive in its heyday had an all-time great atmosphere and if that returns it's going to leave almost as big of an impression as any of our off-season additions.

Early signs are good. The atmosphere was electric during the logo unveiling, and the design team nailed the new jerseys and look of the court. The Hornets re-branding could, in just one off-season, change Charlotte from a shaky small market team with constant legitimacy concerns and budget deficits to a model franchise that rakes in revenue while enjoying rabid fan support. The Hornets name means everything to Charlotte, and I think the nation at large will be shocked at the difference a logo and color scheme can make in local enthusiasm. That first game is going to look like 1992 in Time Warner Cable Arena, and if Charlotte jumps out to a big lead it's going to get LOUD. I can't wait!

[fatlever]

How do you see your depth chart breaking down?

PG: Kemba Walker / Brian Roberts / Jannero Pargo
SG: Lance Stephenson / Gary Neal / PJ Hairston
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist / Gerald Henderson / Jeff Taylor
PF: Marvin Williams / Cody Zeller / Noah Vonleh
C: Al Jefferson / Bismack Biyombo

The wings are all pretty much interchangeable. Henderson is technically a shooting guard and he will be the first wing off the bench, assuming he doesn't start. I could see him used as the backup small foward so that both he and Gary Neal get minutes ahead of Jeff Taylor.

It would not be a total shock to see Lance start at small forward with MKG off the bench

What are the major story lines to your team this year?

1. Charlotte Hornets - The return of the original team name
2. Lance Stephenson - How does he fit? Can he stay out of trouble?
3. Push for home court advantage - Can Hornets finish top 4 in East?
4. Improvement on MKGs jumper - He has been working hard all summer, will it translate?
5. Development of young bigs, Zeller, Vonleh, Biyombo - Will any show signs of breaking out?
6. PJ Hairston - Can he stay out of trouble?
7. Gerald Henderson - What is his role? Will he be traded?
8. All-stars - Will Jefferson finally get his due and be named to the All-Star Team? Kemba? Lance?
9. HoneyBees - Will they be awesome or super awesome?
10. Jeff Taylor - How will he return from a torn Achilles?

How do you think you will finish record wise in the league? (what place? 1-30)

40-50 wins - anywhere from 9th to 3rd place in the East

Tell me a little about your coaching situation.

Clifford proved he can coach defense, but can he improve the offense, that will be the goal of the coaching staff this year.

Get back on defense, don't chase offensive rebounds, don't foul, defend the paint, play inside out on offense

[yosemiteben]

Al making his first all star team is a major story line for me.

[ARHornet]

I'm starting up my offseason preview and wanted to get some info and feedback from you guys before I got going.

So, I come to you folks.

How do you see your depth chart breaking down?
What are the major story lines to your team this year?
How do you think you will finish record wise in the league? (what place? 1-30)
Tell me a little about your coaching situation.

Thanks in advance.

How do you see your depth chart breaking down?
Walker/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Neal/Hairston
MKG/Henderson/Taylor
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
Jefferson/Biyombo

Jefferson, Walker, and Stephenson will obviously be playing major minutes. Williams and Zeller will split time at the 4 and Henderson (unfortunately) will probably cut into MKG's minutes at the 3.

Probably the biggest battle for playing time will come at the wing spot. Lance, MKG, and Henderson are clearly the top 3 wings, but Neal, Hairston, and Taylor will all be fighting for that 4th spot in the rotation. Beyond that 4th wing player, the rotation seems pretty clear cut to me.

What are the major story lines to your team this year?
Obviously a big story line is the return of the Hornets name and the rebranding. Another big story line would be Lance Stephenson joining the roster and how does he fit in. The development of young players (MKG, Zeller, Vonleh and Hairston) will be interesting to see. Can Marvin Williams and a (hopefully) improved Zeller replace McRoberts?

To me, the biggest question for us is can we improve from last season's success and put together another winning season? Or will we implode/regress and fall back into the lottery?

How do you think you will finish record wise in the league? (what place? 1-30)
Best case 3rd in the East. Worst case 9th. 35-50 wins.

Tell me a little about your coaching situation.
Clifford did a fantastic job last season with our team. He's a great defensive coach. I give most of the credit to Clifford for changing the culture of our team. He *should* improve as a coach as he gains more experience with leading a team.

[EwingSweatsALot]

Depth Chart

PG: Walker/Roberts/Pargo/Lance
SG: Stephenson/Neal/Hairston/Henderson
SF: Kidd-Gilchrist/Henderson/Taylor/Williams
PF: Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
C: Jefferson/Biyombo/Zeller

Headlines

1. Guess who's back? Back again. The Hornets back, tell a friend
2. Lance Stephenson and how he handles being a bigger part of a new team.
3. Can the Hornets make the playoffs in back to back years in the first time in it's franchise and first time for the city since 01-02.
4. Can MKG shoot???? Maybe not a huge national story line, but will be huge for the Hornets and this board.
5. Does Zeller progress for us. This will be huge for number 2 on the list.

Record

I have us with 45 wins.

I think this gets us to the 4th to 6th spot in the East. 2 wins more than last year because we did upgrade our overall talent, but we have a really weak spot at the 4 and are having to rely on young unproven guys more than last year (Zeller, Vonleh, and Hairston). We also are having to work in two new guys in the starting rotation which can take a month or so to work the kinks out and lead to some losses that shouldn't happen. The East will be more exciting, but less top heavy this year. This will lead to a few more wins, but also a few more losses. The Hornets point margin last year was negative and 16th overall, but 6th in the East. I think we get that in the positive mostly because of Lance and his ability to get to the rack when it means the most, what we struggled with last year late in close games. We also have a second year coach that will continue to grow and get better.

So basically with all that back in forth confusion is why I think we get two more wins this year which is due to mostly an infusion of talent.

Coaching

Second year coach Steve Clifford. Defensive minded and it really showed last year.We went from 17th in DRTG to 5th in one year behind Clifford, all of this with a center that people said was a bad defender who couldn't protect the rim. So his defensive mind really has helped turn this franchise around, and could have possibly been what helped get Lance here because he continually talks about how he loves our defensive presence on the court. He will continue to grow as a whole, I expect a big leap in how he handles his rotations this year and different offensive and defensive theories that he can continue to implement. It will be interesting to see how he handles our offense and how our offense works with more talent. This franchise has never been a top 20 offense, we have a chance to jump into new found territory if our team and talent is handled right. I think we have that chance under Clifford.

[yosemiteben]

:jerkmode: Also a major story line is whether Cho deserves to keep his job and if the entire franchise is headed in the wrong direction.

Wait, are we past that point yet or no? :/jerkmode:

[TheKingofSting]

Others may debate, but depth chart:

Walker/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Hendo/Neal/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
Jefferson/Biyombo/Zeller

Looks good to me and I think we will finish 4th in the East.

[UNCNYC]

I think our depth chart SHOULD be this


Walker/Neal/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor ----- All splitting minutes here almost evenly
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh ----- All splitting minutes here almost evenly
Jefferson/Biyombo


what I think it WILL be

Walker/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Neal/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
Jefferson/Biyombo

We are really really going to miss McRoberts. With him I think we make the Eastern Conference Finals. WIthout him prolly just the semi's

[Bizz]

I won't get into the rotation as others already did that. But as a story line (aside from the obvious Hornets return) I think that Charlotte will be an old school, grind it out, physical team that this league has been missing from the Detroit Pistons team in mid 2000s.

Kemba is probably the most physical 6'0 player in the world. Big Al is an endangered species as he is an old school center that likes contact. But our wing rotation is what will set us apart from the rest of the league. PJ Hairston showed in the SL against THJ that he is not afraid to get physical, Gerald Henderson is also very strong and not afraid to take down a player, MKG is tough lengthy strong defender and on top of that you got Lance Stephenson who needs no introduction.

Our opponents better start practicing FT after hard fouls, because there will be plenty of them in Charlotte. I predict that the Hornets will lead the league in unsportsmanlike fouls and opponent FTA. Teams in the West will be happy that they only play us twice and coaches will think about resting some of their stars against us

If this kind of basketball can produce wins in this new no contact NBA will remain to be seen. But best believe no team will want to meet us in a playoff series. Not because they will be afraid they could lose but because a series against our team will take a serious toll on their bodies.

All in all I give you the story line: Charlotte "return of the Bad Boys" Hornets.

PS: And We the fans will bi**h about refs alot.

[Snidely FC]

MJ said CHA was gonna make a splash this year with the cap space. The team went out and signed Lance Stephenson, ball dominant Alpha dog type who could burgeon into a star.

Last year, the team's success was built on sharing the ball and chemistry. All accounts were that the CHA locker room was the most copacetic in the league.

Since Feb 13, gone are fan favorites Josh McRoberts, CDR, Anthony Tolliver, Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien.
Their replacements: Lance Stephenson, Gary Neal, Marvin Williams, PJ Hairston and Noah Vonleh, may be more talented individually, but how will their personalities, ranging from callow (Vonleh) to volatile (Stephenson) to egomaniacal (Hairston) mesh with Al Jeff, Kemba and MKG?

To me that's the story of the Charlotte Hornets '14-'15: whether the price to be paid in the loss of chemistry and character was worth bringing in more star power.

[LofJ]

Another big story line is who will be our first wing off the bench? Henderson or MKG. To me it makes a lot more sense to bring Henderson off the bench because he brings more offense to the table. Our coach places a lot of emphasis on spacing though, so for that reason I wouldn't be shocked to see Henderson starting with Lance on the wing.

[mrknowitall215]

Here's a storyline: If Cody Zeller can't take the starting PF position from the mediocrity of Marvin Williams, then he's a 'bust'

[HornetJail]

I think our depth chart SHOULD be this


Walker/Neal/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor ----- All splitting minutes here almost evenly
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh ----- All splitting minutes here almost evenly
Jefferson/Biyombo


what I think it WILL be

Walker/Roberts/Pargo
Stephenson/Neal/Hairston
MKG/Hendo/Taylor
Williams/Zeller/Vonleh
Jefferson/Biyombo

We are really really going to miss McRoberts. With him I think we make the Eastern Conference Finals. WIthout him prolly just the semi's

So you want MKG to only play 1/3 of each game? I can get on board with our three PFs playing 16mpg each, but not SFs. MKG deserves 30mpg this year for sure, and there's no question Henderson is going to eat up all the remaining minutes there, plus the minutes behind Stephenson- pretty much, I think if Clifford is serious about keeping the best players in the game without playing the scrubs, we're going to be seeing this:
Jefferson[32]/Biz[16]
Marvin[24]/Zeller+Vonleh[24 combined based on how they play]
MKG[32]/Hendo[16]
Stephenson[36]/Hendo[12]
Kemba[36]/Roberts[12]
With Hairston, Neal, Pargo, and Taylor only seeing the floor due to an injury or serious foul trouble. No way in hell should Neal ever see backup PG minutes without an injury to one of our PGs either.

I still think we're best off trading a Zeller, JT, Neal, 2nds package for an upgrade- a starting PF, an athletic/versatile scoring wing, or a big-time scoring combo guard should be our targets. Henderson can be included in a deal as well and I wouldn't be heartbroken if we had to include Hairston to make that happen. As long as our core of Big Al, Biz, Vonleh, MKG, Lance, and Kemba isn't broken apart, I feel little attachment to anybody else.