Hornets 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Charlotte Hornets enter the 2015-16 season in danger of being stuck in basketball purgatory—the unenviable place between being a championship contender and being bad enough to earn a high draft pick to select a future star.
On the one hand, the Hornets have a talented young core that includes Kemba Walker, Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum—who was acquired in a deal that sent last year's first-round pick, Noah Vonleh, to Portland. This year's first-round pick, Frank Kaminsky, joins the group too. Add in Al Jefferson, Spencer Hawes, Jeremy Lin, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeremy Lamb, and the Hornets have the makings of a playoff roster.
The problem for Charlotte is that it has a playoff roster in the Eastern Conference. Out West, the team would be in trouble, but the East is weak outside of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. The Hornets aren't good enough to reach the NBA Finals ahead of those teams, but they appear to be good enough to compete for a playoff spot, which means that franchise-altering player isn't likely to end up in Charlotte through the draft any time soon.
Hence, the danger of the Hornets once again finding themselves in basketball limbo.
While they lack a true superstar, they appear to be better than the team that went 33-49 last season and didn't reach the postseason. By pulling off several trades this offseason—none of them bigger than dealing the disappointing Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers—the team certainly has a new look.
The oddsmakers aren't necessarily sold, however. Odds Shark has the Hornets with 250-1 odds to win an NBA title; they're tied with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers for the league's longest odds.
The question will be whether the new additions end up having solid chemistry with mainstays like Walker and Jefferson, or if drafting another big man from the Big Ten will finally pay dividends. Kaminsky, if nothing else, can stretch the floor and create room for the other bigs down low and spacing for the guards.
Whether he can defend the power forward position is another thing entirely, of course.
Head coach Steve Clifford is excited about the new roster, telling Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer he thinks his new-look team is "bigger, particular along the perimeter, more versatile and much more skilled" and that the team not only has more shooting but also "added guys to more create shots for their teammates, which helps a lot."
Finally, he noted, "With all the versatility we have, you can play nine guys and it will work out. But there will be a lot more competition than in previous years."
So yes, there is a lot for Clifford to work with here. The Hornets appear to be built in the Hawks mold—a team with a lot of depth and players who fit specific roles that doesn't have an elite star. The Hawks were more talented on paper last year than the Hornets will be this year, of course, and they had excellent team chemistry, something that remains to be seen with the Hornets.
But Charlotte is undoubtedly better than it was last year. It just may not be good enough to escape basketball purgatory. The full regular-season schedule can be viewed here, but let's also look at some of the Hornets' top matchups this season.
Analyzing Marquee Matchups
Miami Heat
Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Miami represents two tests for Charlotte. First of all, the Heat should be one of the East's better teams if they can stay healthy, with a core of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng and Justise Winslow. But they also are going to likely take away one prospective playoff spot and return to the postseason after missing out on the playoffs last year.
That means that the Hornets are in direct competition with the Heat for one of the eight playoff spots in the East, along with the eight teams that actually reached the postseason last year. With several of the teams that failed to reach the postseason looking improved, the competition could be stiff for the bottom-four playoff seeds.
Of course, the Heat have the look of a team that should secure a top-four spot. The Hornets should expect these division battles to be tough, and the outcomes of these games could have major playoff implications.
Atlanta Hawks
Friday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET
The Hawks are the class of the NBA Southeast and proof that building a contender without a franchise-altering superstar is possible. But after losing DeMarre Carroll to free agency, they might be a bit more vulnerable within the division.
Not that the Hornets are likely to win the Southeast—the Washington Wizards and Heat are much better bets to unseat the Hawks—but the Atlanta will provide a nice litmus test for the Hornets as they try to prove that a deep roster that plays well together and is well-coached can trump a superstar lineup.
The Hawks still appear to be better than the Hornets. But these games will give the Hornets the chance to prove they've narrowed the gap.
Record Prediction
The Hornets are going to linger right around the .500 mark or better, and they have a chance to be one of the surprise teams in the East this season. They have much better depth and a group of players who could come together nicely, so long as they buy into their specific roles.
The lack of a true superstar means they won't challenge in the East, but they are among a handful of teams such as the Heat and Indiana Pacers in contention to get back into the playoffs this season. Given that teams in the Eastern Conference regularly make the postseason with losing records, a 41-41 mark should be enough for the Hornets this season.
Expect them to be slightly better than that, finishing 44-38 and settling into the No. 7 seed in the East.
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