Hornets playoffs / surpassing previous wins?

[fatlever]

As discussed this morning on WFNZ, last year the team had 17 different starting lineups. No starting lineup was used more than 9 times. The vast majority of people outside of hardcore Hornets fans grossly underestimate the severity of the injuries we dealt with last year.

[driveandkick]

This team CAN surpass 40 wins but they're just really stretched thin depth wise already. We can't afford anymore serious injuries on the wings. If one of Lamb/PJ steps up and Cho makes an in season trade it can happen. Don't want him to get too agressive and mortgage any big assets to make a small playoff run though.

[driveandkick]

As discussed this morning on WFNZ, last year the team had 17 different starting lineups. No starting lineup was used more than 9 times. The vast majority of people outside of hardcore Hornets fans grossly underestimate the severity of the injuries we dealt with last year.

and arguably our best player is already done for 6 months

[StitchJones]

40 wins and the playoffs but this team as presently constructed has no long term viability.All of our young guys are just ok, but no one is special and we seem to have put ourselves back in a position to tread water for the next 4 years.

[HornetJail]

As discussed this morning on WFNZ, last year the team had 17 different starting lineups. No starting lineup was used more than 9 times. The vast majority of people outside of hardcore Hornets fans grossly underestimate the severity of the injuries we dealt with last year.

I think we're going to try starting every combination of Zeller, Marvin and PJ, Lamb, Daniels at PF and SG by the end of the calendar year. And then we'll do it all over again adding Frank and Hawes into the mix at starting PF. Even if we don't see many injuries, I think we're going to pass that mark of 17 different starting lineups by the end of the season.

[HornetJail]

40 wins and the playoffs but this team as presently constructed has no long term viability.All of our young guys are just ok, but no one is special and we seem to have put ourselves back in a position to tread water for the next 4 years.

That's my biggest issue with our offseason moves. We had SO MANY ways to improve our long-term success:

- holding onto Vonleh and letting him develop instead of trading him for a quick fix player in a contract year
- holding onto Biyombo and letting him develop
- drafting a high upside player instead of the "NBA ready" one
- moving Al and other vets for a young piece and an expiring deal
- taking that ridiculous offer of picks from Boston

but no, we REALLY need that 7th seed.

[Mystical Apples]

40 wins and the playoffs but this team as presently constructed has no long term viability.All of our young guys are just ok, but no one is special and we seem to have put ourselves back in a position to tread water for the next 4 years.

That's my biggest issue with our offseason moves. We had SO MANY ways to improve our long-term success:

- holding onto Vonleh and letting him develop instead of trading him for a quick fix player in a contract year
- holding onto Biyombo and letting him develop
- drafting a high upside player instead of the "NBA ready" one
- moving Al and other vets for a young piece and an expiring deal
- taking that ridiculous offer of picks from Boston

but no, we REALLY need that 7th seed.

I disasgree upside has been sacrificed

- Vonleh isn't good at basketball. Players his age are usually so much more basketball aware.
- Biyombo was another Vonleh sins of the past draft pick. No reason to chase bad money with more bad money.
- The draft pick this year was high upside in context of 2015-2020 rules that benefit perimeter centers and power forwards. Winslow is more uncertain and less upside. He can't shoot and maybe not for years. Floor spacing bigs who can pass, dribble drive, play in the post, and rebound their position are rare. There's like 5 of them who do all effectively.
- Boston's picks are unknown and nobody else took them. Apparently Ainge is now a genius for both offering and also keeping them.

[StitchJones]

40 wins and the playoffs but this team as presently constructed has no long term viability.All of our young guys are just ok, but no one is special and we seem to have put ourselves back in a position to tread water for the next 4 years.

That's my biggest issue with our offseason moves. We had SO MANY ways to improve our long-term success:

- holding onto Vonleh and letting him develop instead of trading him for a quick fix player in a contract year
- holding onto Biyombo and letting him develop
- drafting a high upside player instead of the "NBA ready" one
- moving Al and other vets for a young piece and an expiring deal
- taking that ridiculous offer of picks from Boston

but no, we REALLY need that 7th seed.

I disasgree upside has been sacrificed

- Vonleh isn't good at basketball. Players his age are usually so much more basketball aware.
- Biyombo was another Vonleh sins of the past draft pick. No reason to chase bad money with more bad money.
- The draft pick this year was high upside in context of 2015-2020 rules that benefit perimeter centers and power forwards. Winslow is more uncertain and less upside. He can't shoot and maybe not for years. Floor spacing bigs who can pass, dribble drive, play in the post, and rebound their position are rare. There's like 5 of them who do all effectively.
- Boston's picks are unknown and nobody else took them. Apparently Ainge is now a genius for both offering and also keeping them.

I actually agree with everything you said except for the part about Vonleh. I liked the way he looked during summer league and i can see his growth in pre season. I think we will regret trading him for a one year rental on Batum.

I think more effort should have been made in regards to trying to find a high caliber player via trade, or trying to move up to get a higher upside player. I like Frank but think Hezonja has a much higher upside for example.

[thisissami]

FIRST POST!!! I boldly predict at least 48 wins. This team will have some amazing chemistry develop over the year. You can already see how much they care for one another and how much they trust one another. This is waaaay more important than everything else. They will all collectively make each other way better than any of them are individually, and united, this team will defy all expectations.

[JDR720]

40 wins and the playoffs but this team as presently constructed has no long term viability.All of our young guys are just ok, but no one is special and we seem to have put ourselves back in a position to tread water for the next 4 years.

That's my biggest issue with our offseason moves. We had SO MANY ways to improve our long-term success:

- holding onto Vonleh and letting him develop instead of trading him for a quick fix player in a contract year
- holding onto Biyombo and letting him develop
- drafting a high upside player instead of the "NBA ready" one
- moving Al and other vets for a young piece and an expiring deal
- taking that ridiculous offer of picks from Boston

but no, we REALLY need that 7th seed.

I would be fine with the moves if you could win (or contend) for the title as a lower seeded team like in other sports, but you cant in the NBA. you have to have multiple high level all-stars to even have a chance. looking at the roster we dont have one. unfortunately in the NBA its probably better to keep tanking until you hit on a star than to be a low seed fodder team.

vonleh had a near perfect skill set for a modern big, does he have the IQ? maybe, maybe not but it would've been nice to see what we had before we decided he was too dumb to keep, he looked fine when he actually played.

bismack was probably our 2nd best bigman last season, definitely was disappointing to let him go for nothing, he isn't much worse than TT who just got the worst contract in NBA history (well maybe lol).

I didn't like the frank pick, but i wouldn't have drafted Winslow he is way to similar to MKG. definitely would've taken that Boston deal odds are one of those picks (4 or 5 picks?) will end up being better than Frank.

i would've basically mailed it in this season and do a mini-tank job, let the vets expire or trade them and start forming a good core group of young players with our own picks and the Boston trade picks.

[yosemiteben]

Steve Reed ‏@SteveReedAP 51m51 minutes ago
I think the Hornets will win at least 42.

That's what I'm talking about Steve!

[euphorbus]

RealGM has its own forecast. Best-case scenario: 40-42. Worst-case scenario: 30-52.

http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/239681/NBA-Season-Preview-Charlotte-Hornets

I have my own comment at the end.

[Benjamin Linus]

Outside of a rash of injuries, I've got the Hornets winning no less than 36 games this season. Even if the team struggles to start the season, I wouldn't be remotely surprised if they made some win-now moves. Charlotte's hosting the NBA All-Star game in 15 months. I'm not so sure Jordan will settle for a below .500 team over the next two seasons. Also, Cho and Clifford are in contract years, this team will certainly be gunning for the playoffs.

[HornetJail]

RealGM has its own forecast. Best-case scenario: 40-42. Worst-case scenario: 30-52.

http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/239681/NBA-Season-Preview-Charlotte-Hornets

I have my own comment at the end.

30 seems about right for worst case scenario. 33 was basically last season's worst case scenario, and even though the roster has improved, our best player is out till April. If our defense can't get off the ground, we may be even lower than 30.

40 seems low for a "best case scenario". My "best case scenario" would be around 45 wins. I would be floored if we won more than that and managed to contend for a top 4 seed without MKG.