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316Hornets wrote:People think I'm crazy but with LeBron gone, we are shoe-ins to the playoffs and have a shot at the ECF if we just use the MLE and maybe trade one guy like MKG or Marv

I thought this deserved its own thread, I think with no trades at all and only signing a backup PG for the MLE we can finish with a Top 5 seed in the regular season and break the wall down and get into the second round of the playoffs. I'm not picking on 316Hornets but the ECF seems too much for this year. I really do think the above projection is attainable all the while keeping Kemba happy (more than likely thrilled to get out of the first round finally) and starting the process of us trending upward.

What say you?


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The Celtics, 76'ers, Raptors, Bucks, and Pacers are all likely still in front of us. We'll be battling the Wizards, Pistons, and Heat for the last 3 playoff spots.

Here were the east rankings from last year, plus how I suspect the team will do this year,

1. Toronto - stable
2. Boston - probably stable
3. Philadelphia - slightly down
4. Cleveland - should be way down
5. Indiana - stable
6. Miami - stable
7. Milwaukee - trending up
8. Washington - trending down
9. Pistons - could go either way
10. Hornets - trending up
11. Knicks - trending down
12. Nets - slight improvement
13. Bulls - slight improvement
14. Magic - trending up
15. Hawks - stable

If the Cavs and Wizards fall out of the playoff picture, then the Hornets and one other team could sneak in. I see Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia as the clear 3 best teams in the east. Charlotte is not going to be able to catch them this year. Indiana, Miami, and Milwaukee all have weaknesses that might lead the Hornets to be able to pass them in the standings, but - right now - the odds seem to be against that. So 7th or 8th seed seems really doable with an outside shot at 4-6. Major injury to one of the top teams might put the Hornets as high as 3rd seen but seems SUPER unlikely to me.

If the Hornets were able to trade for Love without giving too much up then 4-6 seems likely to me.

Still too much we are projecting right now. It's going to depend so much on trades, FAs and our new coaching staff. My assumptions? Obviously 6ers and Celtics are a cut above...Raptors are always good but they really aren't that much (if any) better than us, just more consistent. I think we will be right with the Bucks this year in that 4-5 region, with Indy, Miami and Washington just behind.

I know I'm usually optimistic, but we have been HISTORIC the last 2 years in our ability to be better than how many games we win and lose the close ones. At some point we have to progress to the mean, not to mention I like our roster better, especially for our supposed running play style.

I said on another thread that the 5th or 6th seed isn't out of the question now, assuming we keep Kemba. And while there are still clearly superior teams in the east nobody is putting the fear of God in our guys like playing Lebron clearly did.

TheKingofSting wrote:

316Hornets wrote:People think I'm crazy but with LeBron gone, we are shoe-ins to the playoffs and have a shot at the ECF if we just use the MLE and maybe trade one guy like MKG or Marv

Charlotte finished 10th in the Eastern Conference one year ago and traded its second-best player for a spare part with whom general manager Mitch Kupchak has a strange fixation. Assuming the 2018-19 season started today and no other major trades happened, Charlotte still is not a playoff team to a seventh seed at best.

Yes, Cleveland lost LeBron James but Charlotte still is not necessarily better than Cleveland unless the Cavaliers gut their roster. Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto are heads and shoulders above the rest of the East. Indiana looks like a team on the rise, Milwaukee has a better mix of players and Washington has a better group of perimeter players. Optimistically, Charlotte is in the same class with Miami (a bunch of average, similar-sized defensive players and a disgruntled center), Detroit (a hodgepodge mix of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond with nondescript perimeter players) and maybe Cleveland.

Unless Miles Bridges becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, I don't see Charlotte making that kind of jump with its roster.

Najee12 wrote:

TheKingofSting wrote:

316Hornets wrote:People think I'm crazy but with LeBron gone, we are shoe-ins to the playoffs and have a shot at the ECF if we just use the MLE and maybe trade one guy like MKG or Marv

Charlotte finished 10th in the Eastern Conference one year ago and traded its second-best player for a spare part with whom general manager Mitch Kupchak has a strange fixation. Assuming the 2018-19 season started today and no other major trades happened, Charlotte still is not a playoff team to a seventh seed at best.

Yes, Cleveland lost LeBron James but Charlotte still is not necessarily better than Cleveland unless the Cavaliers gut their roster. Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto are heads and shoulders above the rest of the East. Indiana looks like a team on the rise, Milwaukee has a better mix of players and Washington has a better group of perimeter players. Optimistically, Charlotte is in the same class with Miami (a bunch of average, similar-sized defensive players and a disgruntled center), Detroit (a hodgepodge mix of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond with nondescript perimeter players) and maybe Cleveland.

Unless Miles Bridges becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, I don't see Charlotte making that kind of jump with its roster.

I stopped at traded away second-best player. Do you know who we traded to get him? Last year, we unloaded Miles Plumlee and Marco Bellinelli for Dwight Howard and a bump in the 2nd round.

His value is not as high as the box score would indicate. He is only a box score guy. You know how people talk about guys who do things that don't show up in the box score? Yeah, that's not Howard at all.

316Hornets wrote:I stopped at traded away second-best player. Do you know who we traded to get him? Last year, we unloaded Miles Plumlee and Marco Bellinelli for Dwight Howard and a bump in the 2nd round.

Charlotte traded a player who averaged 16.6 points per game and was in the top five in the NBA in rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and blocked shots for a spare part who was part of the reason Mitch Kupchak got fired from the Los Angeles Lakers. True or false?

Everything you said in your previous post was unfounded opinion, just like your claim this current version of the Hornets could be a darkhorse candidate to make the Eastern Conference finals.

Najee12 wrote:

TheKingofSting wrote:

316Hornets wrote:People think I'm crazy but with LeBron gone, we are shoe-ins to the playoffs and have a shot at the ECF if we just use the MLE and maybe trade one guy like MKG or Marv

Charlotte finished 10th in the Eastern Conference one year ago and traded its second-best player for a spare part with whom general manager Mitch Kupchak has a strange fixation. Assuming the 2018-19 season started today and no other major trades happened, Charlotte still is not a playoff team to a seventh seed at best.

Yes, Cleveland lost LeBron James but Charlotte still is not necessarily better than Cleveland unless the Cavaliers gut their roster. Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto are heads and shoulders above the rest of the East. Indiana looks like a team on the rise, Milwaukee has a better mix of players and Washington has a better group of perimeter players. Optimistically, Charlotte is in the same class with Miami (a bunch of average, similar-sized defensive players and a disgruntled center), Detroit (a hodgepodge mix of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond with nondescript perimeter players) and maybe Cleveland.

Unless Miles Bridges becomes the next Donovan Mitchell, I don't see Charlotte making that kind of jump with its roster.

We hung right in there a couple of times with Philly last season with a coach stuck in the style of play of 90's basketball, we own Toronto but Boston owns us like we own Toronto. The worm has to turn at some point.


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Najee12 wrote:

316Hornets wrote:I stopped at traded away second-best player. Do you know who we traded to get him? Last year, we unloaded Miles Plumlee and Marco Bellinelli for Dwight Howard and a bump in the 2nd round.

Charlotte traded a player who averaged 16.6 points per game and was in the top five in the NBA in rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and blocked shots for a spare part who was part of the reason Mitch Kupchak got fired from the Los Angeles Lakers. True or false?

Everything you said in your previous post was unfounded opinion, just like your claim this current version of the Hornets could be a darkhorse candidate to make the Eastern Conference finals.

Dwight Howard having the 2nd lowest OBPM and 2nd lowest BPM of his career is not unfounded opinion. But, keep salivating over boards that Howard would knock over his own teammates to get.

316Hornets wrote:Dwight Howard having the 2nd lowest OBPM and 2nd lowest BPM of his career is not unfounded opinion. But, keep salivating over boards that Howard would knock over his own teammates to get.

Well, let me know when Timofey Mozgov becomes a top-five rebounder and shot-blocker and then we'll have a discussion. For what it's worth, it's not fair to Dwight Howard to judge him by BPM when that Charlotte team was probably the worst team he's ever played for.

This is a very misinformed opinion, given you have not watched more than 1 Hornets game in the past 2 years. Look, you can cite stats all you want, we know what is going on with our team. And when Dwight got traded, 100% of the people who regularly post on this board were happy. It's hilarious that you think we don't know the stats for our own team. And it's also hilarious you think Mitch traded for Mozgov because he thinks Mozgov is going to play. It's such a tired take, you really think we haven't heard that same joke 500 times already?

I think it's unfounded that we are a darkhorse candidate for the ECF. But I also think that you are just trying to stir up ish.

With Bron gone west I see us finishing 9th-7th. Get on that treadmill boys! Buzz Buzz mofos

Najee12 wrote:

316Hornets wrote:Dwight Howard having the 2nd lowest OBPM and 2nd lowest BPM of his career is not unfounded opinion. But, keep salivating over boards that Howard would knock over his own teammates to get.

Well, let me know when Timofey Mozgov becomes a top-five rebounder and shot-blocker and then we'll have a discussion. For what it's worth, it's not fair to Dwight Howard to judge him by BPM when that Charlotte team was probably the worst team he's ever played for.

Dwight's scoring, blocks, & rebounding numbers really don't do justice to how much of a negative overall impact he was many games and on teammates and team chemistry in general. There were games where he was really helpful, but that was the exception rather than the rule. There was a reason that getting rid of him was the team's #1 priority.

There are plenty of reasons to doubt the Hornets or criticize bad choices, but getting rid of Dwight isn't a good reason for either of those.

I think the fact that the Brooklyn freaking Nets are buying him out should give you a fair understanding of his immense value...

Is it bad that our situation is much worse than the Denver Nuggets and yet we are ranked right around the same spot in our respective conferences? Lol, pays to be in the East.

Najee12 wrote:

316Hornets wrote:I stopped at traded away second-best player. Do you know who we traded to get him? Last year, we unloaded Miles Plumlee and Marco Bellinelli for Dwight Howard and a bump in the 2nd round.

Charlotte traded a player who averaged 16.6 points per game and was in the top five in the NBA in rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and blocked shots for a spare part who was part of the reason Mitch Kupchak got fired from the Los Angeles Lakers. True or false?

Everything you said in your previous post was unfounded opinion, just like your claim this current version of the Hornets could be a darkhorse candidate to make the Eastern Conference finals.

Lol. Second best player. Whew. I needed that on this terrible Monday.

316Hornets wrote:Is it bad that our situation is much worse than the Denver Nuggets and yet we are ranked right around the same spot in our respective conferences? Lol, pays to be in the East.

I saw on ESPN earlier today they had a list of the Top 15 current players in the NBA and the only player in the Eastern Conference was Giannis!


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East is gonna suck next year.

Outside of Philly/Boston/Raps it could get ugly, especially if the Giannis/Bucks or Wizards situations sour at all.

I'd be surprised if we could even be the 5th seed to be honest. 6-9th are all probably going to be flawed or borderline bad teams, that's about where we are imo. I just hope we float to the top of that group, but that's entirely up to our young players and Borrego.

It's all gonna come down to how good Borrego and his staff are. I think there's a chance his change of style could allow a lot of our players to thrive more than they ever did in Cliff's slow/conservative system. I think we are one of the harder teams to predict next season as we could be anywhere from 4-10