State of your Hornets Fandom?

[Eoghan]

I think we need a centralized place to vent and get all therapeutic for awhile so we don't go off the rails in every thread.

So, how are you feeling about your team lately? Do you like their direction?

My name is BrotherDave and I'm a Hornetaholic.

I don't know if this is a bad thing but I'm openly rooting for Charlotte to have as bad a season as possible this year b/c the sooner MJ cleans house in the front office, the sooner I can pretend that NC has a professional basketball team. I've had thoughts of jumping ship but I enjoy schadenfreud so that will keep me loyal. I will be watching a lot more non-Charlotte basketball this year though.

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

I'm angry but I'm not rooting against the team. It's silly, but I've unfollowed the team on twitter. I'll be unliking them the next time I bother to log onto facebook. I'll probably watch a few games on TV, but right now I'm not planning on going to any games in person ... that last will probably change if for no other reason than the kids like to go.

Mostly I just feel really disconnected from the team. For years it's been "sustainable success" where we were supposed to support a combination of slowly building through the draft as they signed key free agents to fill gaps. Now it's "win now!!!" as long term prospects are jettisoned for guys on 1 year contracts. I actually like guys like Batum, but I'm completely not OK with the sudden shift in direction. I feel like a fool for having supported the "old" plan and am distrustful of Cho.

Cliff is probably one of my top 3 least favorite hornets coaches. His stubbornness and lack of creativity are maddening. But mostly his teams are boring to watch and his boneheaded in game moves make me want to throw things way too much.

[mrknowitall215]

It's give & take. I like the fact that Cho tried to correct his mistakes on projecting Zeller to be a stretch 4 by actually drafting a stretch 4, but I dislike the fact that he had to attached the untapped potential of recent lottery pick Vonleh to Henderson in a attempt to relieve the logjam at PF to make sense of it. I also like the fact that Cho finally traded for Lamb, which I thought was a no-brainer for years. The Batum & Hawes acquisitions are decent if used correctly by Clifford. I like this offseason better than last season's dismal offseason but it has it's flaws from a outlook point of view

[Flip Murray]

Like I said in another thread I'm just hanging on in hopes that one day my children (if I have any) will see the Hornets win a playoff game. It won't happen in my lifetime obviously I think we've all accepted that.

I was looking back at an old realgm thread from 2013 about offers for Biyombo and some fan from another team asked if the number 10 pick would be enough to get him. I closed the thread instantly I could scroll down no further.

[yosemiteben]

A follow on question - how much does this team need to outperform last year's team for you to renew your interest if you say you are checking out? Or would it not matter because you disagree with the moves?

[JDR720]

I will still watch 90%+ of the games this season, i might need to check into rehab if i do though. I think the team needs new leadership. Cho dropped the ball last offseason although i thought most of the moves were good ideas at the time, this offseason has been the opposite. Cliff is just way too stubborn, i wouldn't surprised at all if he was one of the main reasons we dumped Biz and Noah. MJ needs to stop meddling in basketball decisions too, his track record as a GM is pretty horrible to say the least.

I wont root against the team, but i certainly wont be mad if we are picking in the top 5 in next years draft.

[Braggins]

Not good. I've come around on drafting Kaminsky and obviously picking up Lamb for nothing is good, but letting Biz go and the two other trades are flat out depressing. I'm at the point where I 100% don't want to follow this team anymore until Cliff and Cho are gone, but I'm not really too into any other teams so the Hornets will probably remain my most watched team. I think we severely limited the potential of the team, but its still possible that we have a good season if Kemba and MKG step up big.

I really wish I lived in Charlotte just so I could have the satisfaction of telling them to suck it when they tried to get me to renew my season tickets.

[CatgutStitches]

My fandom is right where its always been...through ups and downs Ill be here. Just like with my other teams. Then again I also just dont see all the "throwing away our future to win now" moves weve made that everyone else does. In my eyes the Hornets and Panthers are both trending up.

I have a feeling Ill watch more games this year than last year...after about a month last year it was pretty clear that the team was built horribly for the system we insist on running and it was just hard to watch...at least this year we are built with some direction. Is it the right direction? Remains to be seen but its A direction and I have a feeling we will be more competitive because of it.

I can always trade for Vonleh in NBA2k where his lack of basketball IQ doesnt matter as much and be just as happy as this year with him riding the bench all season ; )

[Braggins]

I will still watch 90%+ of the games this season, i might need to check into rehab if i do though.

This. I feel like an ass whenever I talk about not wanting to follow the team anymore, but it is so damn taxing watching so many of our games. Being emotionally invested in this team suuuucks. We're going to win more games and be more watchable next year, but probably the only thing to really get excited about that might actually happen in the near future is our coach and gm getting fired and starting over.

[mrknowitall215]

A follow on question - how much does this team need to outperform last year's team for you to renew your interest if you say you are checking out? Or would it not matter because you disagree with the moves?

It won't be difficult to outperform last year's team, but I think a playoff berth would make a lot of people forget about what has transpired so far this offseason. I personally like this offseason better than last season's, so I'll likely be watching the team even more than I did this past year

[ball teacher]

I like the direction we are going, I dont think Kaminski was a "homerun" superstar selection, but I think he will be very good for what we're trying to do.

I do think Cliff sucks but again, Kaminsky, Batum, Lamb, and Hawes will fit right in and make Cliff and Kemba look better.

I'm more concerned about the state of nba, if small ball is what we're being force fed, then this will take away the enjoyment of the game for me. I love the game at it's purest form, so seeing 3 and 4 guard lineups with fast break 3 pointers as opposed to alley oop dunks isnt my cup of tea. The team is going in the right direction tho, I will say Cho shouldnt be on the hot seat when all he did was bring in Al, Lance, MKG, Cody, Mo Will, Batum, PJ, Hawes and Lamb. It's Cliffs job to make it work, and coming out of the weak east, he should easily make it work.

[EwingSweatsALot]

My fandom doesnt change, but my excitement level decreases or increases.

My excitement level is higher now than it was at the end of last year. I believe we are a better team. A more exciting team. I don't know if we will make the playoffs and if we do we aren't getting past the first round. But we are better.

My excitement has decreased for the future though. I wonder where the hell we are going. I wonder if our front office even knows that. It's easy to have a direction of win the most games. It's hard to do that though especially in the market we are in. I don't see us being bottom 3 worse in the near future but I do see us being stuck drafting 9-13 for the next half decade which scares the absolute **** out of me.

Our front office has set these landmarks in time of this franchise to demand us being good. The name change and now the All Star game. Instead of actually trying to build a model franchise we force everything to be good for a specific time instead of for a long time. We handcuff our future for short term mediocre success.

We should have never signed Al. We ended that rebuild a year too early. All because we were so **** impatient. We had only been bad for what two years? **** that's nothing when you had 3-4 game changing prospects in the next years draft. We should have never traded young assets for an old 26 year old wing. We should have never drafted a guy that was NBA ready now and pass on a guy that could be a top 7 wing in the NBA some day. We just don't have the ability to do that with this franchise and where we are at. Those moves helped us now, but does it matter if we don't win a playoff series and or back in the lottery for years to come again?

My fandom will never waver. Strong as ever. My excited fluctuates with the year. My frustration grows by the day.

[BigSlam]

If nothing else these recent moves will separate wannabe band wagon jumping "fans" of the team to people who legitimately support the franchise.

Do you care about and are invested in the team, or are your drivers and motivators who happens to be on the roster at any specific time or more importantly, which college they attended?

Should be a good purge.

I also look forward to the wannabe band wagoners flipping should we start the season something like 11-1.



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[yosemiteben]

I also look forward to the wannabe band wagoners flipping should we start the season something like 11-1.

To be honest, if I had to guess, I'd say we have a TOR 2014-15'esque season. Dominant first half where we are all pounding our chests, fall apart second half, swept in the first round, entire fan base meltdown.

Should be fun.

[Flip Murray]

I also look forward to the wannabe band wagoners flipping should we start the season something like 11-1.

To be honest, if I had to guess, I'd say we have a TOR 2014-15'esque season. Dominant first half where we are all pounding our chests, fall apart second half, swept in the first round, entire fan base meltdown.

Should be fun.

or the exact opposite then we get swept in the first round. This isn't going to be just a terrible season. This is a Charlie Brown franchise there's a football out there for us to try to kick. They'll give us hope then pull it away.

[ball teacher]

I also look forward to the wannabe band wagoners flipping should we start the season something like 11-1.

To be honest, if I had to guess, I'd say we have a TOR 2014-15'esque season. Dominant first half where we are all pounding our chests, fall apart second half, swept in the first round, entire fan base meltdown.

Should be fun.

or the exact opposite then we get swept in the first round. This isn't going to be just a terrible season. This is a Charlie Brown franchise there's a football out there for us to try to kick. They'll give us hope then pull it away.

The only team capable of sweeping us in the east was the Lebron James superteams, other than that we can hang with any team in the east AND we just got better. And contrary to what his naysayers say, Al Jefferson, when healthy, makes us a legit playoff team, without him we will suck cause nobody else is a reliable threat offensively but Al. Now that we have shooters around him this team could really be good we just gotta stay healthy.

[HornetJail]

I'm still behind this team. If this team goes full (Please Use More Appropriate Word) and trades off MKG/Cody/Kemba in deals that cement us in sub-mediocrity, then I'm probably re-considering. Charlotte will always be among my favorite teams, but only because I've spent my entire life there.

[MasterIchiro]

I'm not going to miss a game this year. With all the new floor spacers, Kemba will have a huge year attacking the basket and getting better shots. The team can put out shooters Lamb and Batum on the wings which opens lanes for Kemba or go small with MKG at PF which gives Kemba an uptempo attack. This team is exciting thanks to the long overdue correction of major Cho blunders such as drafting Biz, signing Hendo and taking Cody 4th overall.

Some here lobbied for a PG to fit with Hendo + MKG + Zeller + Biz.

That is hilarious.

[catch20two]

This team is exciting thanks to the long overdue correction of major Cho blunders such as signing Hendo and taking Cody 4th overall.

Correct.

[KembaWalker]

I don't get what the big deal is. Signing Big Al was a 3 year commitment to winning now. Every move we've made supports that plan.