3-Step Plan for Charlotte Hornets to Return to the Playoffs in 2015-16
The return of Buzz City was supposed to add fuel to the fire the Bobcats built in their swan song campaign of 2013-14. It winded up doing the exact opposite, as the Charlotte Hornets fell flat on their faces right out of the gate, limping to a disheartening 33-49 season.
So, what now? An awkward offseason awaits that presents a bevy of tough questions for the franchise. This team had deep, unsettling issues that extended far beyond injuries and bad performance.
Charlotte has a ton of work to do in order to get back to the playoffs, but the plan can be grouped into three main points.
1. Acquire Shooters
We've heard it before, but it bears repeating. Charlotte was the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA this year at 31.8 percent.
On a grander scale, the Hornets haven't finished outside the bottom 10 in the league for three-point shooting since 2008-09. They have been one of the five worst in four of the last five years.
They stink at threes. Plain and simple.
Of the guys who were on the roster for at least a majority of the season, only Marvin Williams shot over 35 percent from deep.
| Player | Percentage | Attemps Per Game |
| Marvin Williams | 35.8 | 3.4 |
| Mo Williams (27 Games) | 33.7 | 6.6 |
| Kemba Walker | 30.4 | 4.5 |
| P.J. Hairston | 30.1 | 3.6 |
| Gerald Henderson | 33.1 | 1.7 |
| Lance Stephenson | 17.1 | 1.7 |
| Brian Roberts | 32.1 | 2.7 |
Roberts and Marvin Williams turned out to be overpriced and ineffective free-agent signings, while Lance Stephenson was exactly that times 100. He now has the dubious distinction of having put together the worst shooting season from three-point range in NBA history, as he owned up to, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
This has to be a collective effort. General manager Rich Cho has to dip into the free-agent pool and look at guys such as Khris Middleton, Lou Williams, Wesley Matthews, Danny Green, Gerald Green, Wayne Ellington and Mike Dunleavy. Charlotte doesn't need to break the bank, but the roster is in dire need of bringing in some role players who can spread the floor.
Secondly, Walker and Stephenson cannot perform that miserably next year. It forces Charlotte to play big on a nightly basis, which is a big problem when Al Jefferson is the team's only consistent offensive threat in the paint. Both have proven they can shoot, but it just didn't happen this past season.
Charlotte also has to hit on a second-round draft pick for once. Take a shooter and find a role for him. That's all it needs to do.
2. Overhaul the Offense
The Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards may still be alive in the conference semifinals, but they are not to be emulated. Both teams are unique examples of present-day success in this league because each does it the unconventional way.
Memphis and Washington are the two grittiest teams in the NBA. Charlotte tries to play this way but doesn't have the cavalry. It also does not have stars such as John Wall, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph or Bradley Beal. Water down a roster like Memphis has, and you get a shriveled-up, boring squad like the Hornets currently have.
To its credit, Charlotte has a strong stable of talent upon which it can turn things around. Jefferson is still one of the best post players in the league, but he cannot be asked to anchor a defense. Restricted free agent Bismack Biyombo was the only big defensive presence in 2014-15. He could be brought back at the right price, but the Hornets need more. Perhaps Willie Cauley-Stein in the draft lottery?
Charlotte had the worst offense in the NBA this year in terms of effective field-goal percentage. It was also second-to-last in fast-break scoring at just 9.2 points per game.
As we detailed before regarding Charlotte's extended run of three-point futility, things have to change. Once some weapons are in place, the Hornets have to stop using Jefferson as a crutch. He holds everyone back to no fault of his own because the offense revolves around funneling the ball down to him on the post, then standing around watching.
A backcourt of Walker, Stephenson, Hairston and Henderson should absolutely not allow that fast-break number to stand. This is a team of young and athletic players who can wreak havoc out in the open court. Flank Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller on their sides, and you have the makings of a lethal open-floor club.
Next year's offense must be more uptempo and feature less Jefferson isolations. Walker and Stephenson need to bounce back and rally everyone around them. This roster will benefit from taking on the personalities of those two guards. More ball distribution and basket cuts have to be on the menu, as well.
3. Get Everyone on the Same Page
Another word to describe this past season was "confusing."
Head coach Steve Clifford has one year left on his contract and is widely considered to be one of the league's better coaches. However, it felt like he was attempting to hammer square pegs into round holes all year.
That implies a certain level of disconnect amongst the front office. Rich Cho is a favorite of Michael Jordan, so everyone is going to have to figure out a way to get along, or someone is getting the axe.
Brett Jensen of Fox Sports Carolinas noted an interesting quote from Clifford: "We need a best player and it needs to be Al," he said.
This could work, but it is extremely risky given the one year left on Jefferson's contract, coupled with the fact that he just put up his worst statistical season since 2006-07.
The way this works is by taking a look at some of the league's best teams. Note how the San Antonio Spurs employ the aging Tim Duncan. Observe how the Atlanta Hawks utilize Al Horford. How did the Chicago Bulls get such a monstrous comeback season out of Pau Gasol? Why has Zach Randolph been able to turn such a volatile career into such consistency with the Grizzlies?
Horford, Duncan, Gasol and Randolph all score efficiently and effectively because they are vital parts of the offense. But Big Al is the offense. Therein lies the problem. In order to win with Al as your best player, you have to play better team basketball and find ways to get him easier baskets.
Jefferson has been playing the same way his entire career, and it has never gotten his team anywhere. He has almost always been the best on his roster, but at age 30 and with zero career playoff-series victories, he not only needs to reinvent himself a bit, but the front office must use him differently to benefit the success of the franchise.
Also, if you are going to allow Walker to lead your squad in shot attempts, it is inexcusable for him to be 110th out of 111 qualified players in terms of field-goal percentage. That is a death sentence for your offense.
This is a guy who recently signed a $48 million contract extension. He is the only one on the roster signed past next year and might have already peaked as a player if something doesn't change. This interesting piece from Frank Berndt at SB Nation sheds light on Walker's woes and what could be done to fix them.
He has to pass more. Other players have to be engaged besides Jefferson and Walker, otherwise this ship will sink again. It is troubling that nothing drastic was done about this issue all year as the coaches and front office watched this roster slam its collective head into the wall over and over again. The issues that plagued the Hornets on the court were clear as day, yet nothing was done to fix them.
If you successfully employ the first two steps of this plan, this one could fall right into place. Walker and Jefferson haven't had much help around them to force them to defer. Clifford has not had the weapons to validate going in a different direction with the offense. It is up to Cho to bring this together and figure out the next course of action.
Hopefully for fans, that course involves much more buzzing than we got in 2014-15.
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