The OKC Thunder survived a shocking offseason with a stacked draft cupboard and bright future while the Charlotte Hornets enter rebuild mode with an uncertain future.
Franchise cornerstone Kemba Walker delivered a career-best season and publicly stated his desire to remain with the Charlotte Hornets. Instead of rewarding Walker for his loyalty and years of carrying the Hornets on his diminutive back the club allowed him to walk.
Worse, he leaves for a conference rival. In truth, it’s understandable why the Hornets were wary of offering Walker a max salary. particularly after overpaying numerous assets on the roster who made this decision harder than it needed to be.
Despite the decision to move on from Walker the point guard still worked with Charlotte to enable a sign and trade deal in order for the Hornets to get a makeshift replacement back. No offense to Terry Rozier but he’s yet to prove he’s capable of being a full-time starter and his penchant for firing public missives won’t fly in Charlotte.
The head-scratching part of this deal is the 3-year $56.7 million contract given to Rozier. It feels like a big overpay which is highly confusing given Charlotte is supposed to be learning from their past mistakes.
Charlotte enters the season with the 18th highest payroll for a club likely to finish among the bottom three in the NBA (and that’s without trying to tank).
For as much as the OKC Thunder enter uncertain times after Paul George decided to expedite a new era, at least the fanbase can relish the draft cupboard and young talents in house.
Suffice to say, the Hornets are in arguably the worst situation in the NBA given their lack of stars and mediocre roster assets.
The Basics:
2018-19 Record: 39-43
Lottery Seed: Landed the 12th pick in the lottery
Head Coach: James Borrego begins his second season as the bench boss.
Points per game: Ranked 19th (110.7) | Opponent points per game: Ranked 17th (111.8)
Pace: Ranked 21st (98.7) | Offensive Rating: Ranked 12th (111.4) | Defensive Rating: Ranked 22nd (112.5)
Vegas Odds:
Win-Loss: 23.0 games
Odds to NBA Title: +30000
Odds to Win Conference: +15000
* win/loss as per Westgate and Conference/Title odds as per Odds Shark
Last season the Thunder swept the season series with the Hornets. Let’s review the changes the Hornets made this season with a view of what to expect when the team’s tipoff versus each other in the 2019-20 season.