So Charlotte, what's the plan?

[EmpireFalls]

Charlotte is a TOUGH first round out next season

For who? If they win enough to make the play-in, they look like a disaster anyway. Most teams would be fiending to face them.

All the real Hornets fans who can see through the BS know this is a tank season. They’ve been relentlessly acquiring future draft picks and clearly want one of the top guys in the much hyped 2026 draft class.

They’re going into the season with a frontcourt rotation of Plumlee, Diabate (a former G League energy big), and rookie Kalkbrenner, who’s basically a homeless man’s Roy Hibbert.

But the worst part is the 4 situation. It’s Miles Bridges and the worst young player in the entire NBA, the hopeless Tidjane Salaun. Grant Williams destroyed all the ligaments in his knee and won’t be back until January/Feburary of 2026.

The lack of size will see the team demolished by NBA length and athleticism. This is a 25 win team, the playoff shouts are utterly hilarious and delusional.

[tsherkin]

All the real Hornets fans who can see through the BS know this is a tank season. They’ve been relentlessly acquiring future draft picks and clearly want one of the top guys in the much hyped 2026 draft class.

Everything is a tank season for them until something major changes, I agree.

The lack of size will see the team demolished by NBA length and athleticism. This is a 25 win team, the playoff shouts are utterly hilarious and delusional.

Yep, moving Mark Williams and not having anything else but the rook isn't an inspiring situation, for sure. I definitely feel bad for the fans, because they remain stuck in the worst possible place.

[EmpireFalls]

All the real Hornets fans who can see through the BS know this is a tank season. They’ve been relentlessly acquiring future draft picks and clearly want one of the top guys in the much hyped 2026 draft class.

Everything is a tank season for them until something major changes, I agree.

Yep, moving Mark Williams and not having anything else but the rook isn't an inspiring situation, for sure. I definitely feel bad for the fans, because they remain stuck in the worst possible place.

Actually, as awful as the past two years have been to watch, I feel the best about the team I have in awhile, because they’ve at least fully picked a direction. It’s miserable basketball and a futile on-court product but they at least are aware they aren’t good.

MJ’s issue was rushing everything because he desperately wanted to make the playoffs, which led to us handing out idiotic big contracts (Batum, Rozier, Hayward) each of which blew up in our faces. Some good ol’ tanking would have actually helped, I think, as we never had the assets or high draft picks to get a real co-star for Kemba.

At least we are getting some high picks and have a lot more incoming now. Acting like a proper rebuilding team. Although if we keep picking Salaun’s and Knueppel’s we risk rebuilding for the next decade.

[tsherkin]

Actually, as awful as the past two years have been to watch, I feel the best about the team I have in awhile, because they’ve at least fully picked a direction. It’s miserable basketball and a futile on-court product but they at least are aware they aren’t good.

I guess that's something. Here's hoping that they start hitting on their moves sooner rather than later.

[JustBuzzin]

Seems like they're positioning themselves as if he's going to miss a lot of games at the very least. Seems really weird.

There is nothing weird about it. Ball has played in 105 out of a possible 246 games over the last three years.

If they are this worried about his availability (for good reason) they probably should just move on from him while they can. Someone (Lakers) will easily take on the burden.

LaMelo and Luka?

That has disaster written all over it.

[tamaraw08]

:evil:

There is nothing weird about it. Ball has played in 105 out of a possible 246 games over the last three years.

Yeah, I'm aware he barely plays. But the volume of guards they're amassing still seems like overkill.

I don’t disagree there. Trading Mark Williams without plans to competently address the center position is the biggest head scratcher.

Woah, are you not aware they just acquired the young and productive Miles Plumlee?

[Lockdown504090]

Charlotte is a TOUGH first round out next season

For who? If they win enough to make the play-in, they look like a disaster anyway. Most teams would be fiending to face them.

All the real Hornets fans who can see through the BS know this is a tank season. They’ve been relentlessly acquiring future draft picks and clearly want one of the top guys in the much hyped 2026 draft class.

They’re going into the season with a frontcourt rotation of Plumlee, Diabate (a former G League energy big), and rookie Kalkbrenner, who’s basically a homeless man’s Roy Hibbert.

But the worst part is the 4 situation. It’s Miles Bridges and the worst young player in the entire NBA, the hopeless Tidjane Salaun. Grant Williams destroyed all the ligaments in his knee and won’t be back until January/Feburary of 2026.

The lack of size will see the team demolished by NBA length and athleticism. This is a 25 win team, the playoff shouts are utterly hilarious and delusional.

There has never been a better reason to tank since they flattened the lotto odds. you can potentially get an all star in the top 6 picks if they develop well.

[davidv2001]

:evil:

Yeah, I'm aware he barely plays. But the volume of guards they're amassing still seems like overkill.

I don’t disagree there. Trading Mark Williams without plans to competently address the center position is the biggest head scratcher.

Woah, are you not aware they just acquired the young and productive Miles Plumlee?

When 35-year-old Mason Plumlee can still find a starting position in the NBA, it tells me it pays to be tall.

[kenwood3333]

When Melo is healthy, I have them as the 4th best team, in their division.

[LurkCobain]

Doubters keep that same energy when the Hornets are #5 in the East Playoffs next year.

[Courant]

I think the depth chart will look like this -

G - Ball / Sexton / Mann
G - Sexton / Green / (Pat Connaughton)
F - Miller / Kon / McNeeley
F - Bridges / Williams / Salaun
C - Plumlee / Diabate / Kalkbrenner

Adding washed (Spencer) Dinwiddie to this mess? Time for Hornets fans to put on the special education head gear. This is going to be an unwatchable trainwreck.

When 35-year-old Mason Plumlee can still find a starting position in the NBA, it tells me it pays to be tall.

I believe the purpose of adding Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee to the roster is to have some adults in the room. The Hornets' locker room has been called immature and unprofessional in recent years and all three are known to be solid locker room/community service guys.

It is particularly the case when your best players are known for having a large social media presence more than NBA accomplishments (LaMelo Ball), being suspended for an ugly domestic violence incident (Miles Bridges) and supplying a gun involved in a shooting that resulted in someone's death (Brandon Miller). That's not including past incidents with Malik Monk (suspended for violating the league's anti-drug program) and James Bouknight (sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to impaired driving).

I don't expect Connaughton, Dinwiddie and Plumlee to play much, but to mentor a callow group of players on how to be professional NBA players.

[baldur]

Plan is to help phoenix as much as they can.

[Chuck Everett]

I think the depth chart will look like this -

G - Ball / Sexton / Mann
G - Sexton / Green / (Pat Connaughton)
F - Miller / Kon / McNeeley
F - Bridges / Williams / Salaun
C - Plumlee / Diabate / Kalkbrenner

Adding washed (Spencer) Dinwiddie to this mess? Time for Hornets fans to put on the special education head gear. This is going to be an unwatchable trainwreck.

When 35-year-old Mason Plumlee can still find a starting position in the NBA, it tells me it pays to be tall.

I believe the purpose of adding Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee to the roster is to have some adults in the room. The Hornets' locker room has been called immature and unprofessional in recent years and all three are known to be solid locker room/community service guys.

It is particularly the case when your best players are known for having a large social media presence more than NBA accomplishments (LaMelo Ball), being suspended for an ugly domestic violence incident (Miles Bridges) and supplying a gun involved in a shooting that resulted in someone's death (Brandon Miller). That's not including past incidents with Malik Monk (suspended for violating the league's anti-drug program) and James Bouknight (sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to impaired driving).

I don't expect Connaughton, Dinwiddie and Plumlee to play much, but to mentor a callow group of players on how to be professional NBA players.

They had Taj Gibson last year. He's a much bigger professional than freaking Dinwiddie, who immediately began making excuses for sub 35% shooting on the Nets when called out on it before being traded to Toronto. Charlotte needs new/better young players.

[Courant]

They had Taj Gibson last year. He's a much bigger professional than freaking Dinwiddie, who immediately began making excuses for sub 35% shooting on the Nets when called out on it before being traded to Toronto. Charlotte needs new/better young players.

Compared to Miles Bridges getting arrested for beating up a woman and being suspended for domestic violence charges, Brandon Miller giving someone a gun used to kill a person and some of the other happenings involving off-the-court issues involving Hornets players in recent years (see James Bouknight and Malik Monk), Spencer Dinwiddie still would be a locker room upgrade.

Dinwiddle also has been around and has had a serviceable NBA career. Dinwiddle is not 40 years old and too far removed from when he was a decent player, like Taj Gibson. Also, Dinwiddie is not one of Charlotte's best players, so he is very much expendable.

It's the only conclusion I can make as to why Charlotte wanted Dinwiddie. The Hornets are overloaded with guards and I can't see what else he provides that is not already on the roster. But it could have been worse, like adding Ben Simmons to the roster.

As for Charlotte needing better players, that much is true. The Hornets can start by ending their history of wasting lottery picks on players with limited NBA upside (Tidjane Salaün looks like the most recent dubious selection, barring some incredible development).

[Hornet Mania]

Charlotte's plan from what I can tell thus far:

1. Add white guys
2. Add ball handlers who can't defend (bonus if also white)
3. Add every 2nd round pick possible

On the surface this does not look like a recipe for success. In reality it probably won't be either. But that is the plan, to tank for 2026.

[Up-And-Coming]

If I was a Hornets fan I’d be more optimistic about the franchise than ever before. Most parody in this NBA era and since Jeff Peterson took over they’ve won most if not every trade from an asset accumulation perspective imo (both Mark Williams trades, Nick Richard’s trade, Cody Martin trade, Sexton trade, etc).

Continue to play the young core and hope they take a step forward while accumulating more future assets.

[Dan Z]

I was surprised that they didn't draft Tre Johnson.

[garrick]

Charlotte is building around a injury prone LaMelo. The problem is they are not putting serious talent around him. It's like we repeat the same cycle every season.

If you going to keep LaMelo put talent around him. It's not like we like assets. We have all these draft picks stashed and we just sitting on them.

Lamelo is not a player you should build around.

He's not a leader and he is far too easy going to be the face of the franchise that is going to push this team to the playoffs.

That front office should be fired because they keep trading away all players for very little return, PJ Washington, Mark Williams, Nick Richards etc while not stars they are okay role players so I don't understand the need to keep giving away players just for the sake of it.

[JustBuzzin]

Charlotte is building around a injury prone LaMelo. The problem is they are not putting serious talent around him. It's like we repeat the same cycle every season.

If you going to keep LaMelo put talent around him. It's not like we like assets. We have all these draft picks stashed and we just sitting on them.

Lamelo is not a player you should build around.

He's not a leader and he is far too easy going to be the face of the franchise that is going to push this team to the playoffs.

That front office should be fired because they keep trading away all players for very little return, PJ Washington, Mark Williams, Nick Richards etc while not stars they are okay role players so I don't understand the need to keep giving away players just for the sake of it.

That's what I'm saying. We trading players away for picks, but we are sitting on those picks and not adding talent.

If we not winning with LaMelo why are we keeping him around to play 40 games a season.

I truly don't know what the plan is anymore. It seems like we stocking up on picks for a major trade down the line. Who knows when we actually make that trade tho.

[miamiheat319]

will lamelo be remembered with the stephon marburys and steve francises of the world?