2026 Charlotte Hornets

[frankw]

2 hours ago, MechaZain said:

No one's saying LaMelo has no blame we're responding to you acting like he's the reason they lost. The scapegoating and blaming the teams woes on his personality is where it's like Cam Newton all over again.

It was a failure on multiple fronts and primarily Lee's. Dude said ON AIR pregame that they had to protect the paint and if that was his gameplan going in he couldn't have botched it more. As the commentators said Ball's a rhythm guy and Orlando was preventing him for getting any kind of flow going. I'm a normie watching on TV and said they needed to bait them into fouling to combat that. They didn't even try until the 2nd half when it was too late. I think it's fair to expect the star to overcome whatever but LaMelo was not the problem in that game and he's not what is holding the team back. He's the only reason they're flirting with being a great team.

I kinda put the center play on Lee too. Moose is great until he's up against a big who can body him. We've always known that and that's what Kalkbrenner is for. I don't know if it would have changed much but Kalkbrenner should have had more minutes than him. 

And moving forward with the center position, I just think it's the time to trade Diabate while his stock's high and that's not an indictment of his game. He's like an evolved combination of Biyombo and PJ. He's a great rim protector and the strength issue is just what you're going to have to deal with if you want that. But Kalkbrenner is perfectly capable of protecting the rim and we gotta get away from the undersized centers or it'll always be a problem for us.

He's not Cam brother. Disrespectful to Cam at this point to keep mentioning them together. That's just my opinion.

We all agree we need the young guys to step up. They have to varying degrees. But they're still learning. Especially the rookies. Guys like Miller and Moose need to take another step and we hope they will get there. Both need to add some bulk in the offseason. Kalk too. We can give them a little grace though. We extended the same courtesy to LaMelo in his earlier years. Many excuses were afforded to him.

I agree completely that we need to see both offensive evolution and development under Lee. I feel like the team in some aspects has taken a step back at times under his watch. That can't continue.

I hope it all comes together. We'll see. But that clock is ticking and there should be NO excuses after this upcoming season. No more embarrassment please.

Edited Sunday at 07:00 PM by frankw

[toldozer]

Sixers 4-23 from 3 today and got spanked. I feel like the magic had no desire to beat the sixers and get embarrassed by the Celtics. 

[HardcoreHokie]

Said it before, won’t deal with specifics:

Draft 6’9 PF Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)

Draft 7’3 C Aday Mara (Michigan)

Trade for 6’10 PF Michael Porter Jr.

[Jackie Lee]

Guess the Magic being up on the Pistons makes it a little more palatable lol. Not in favor of either team but we definitely underestimated the Magic the last week and went in soft with no game plan

[toldozer]

1 minute ago, Jackie Lee said:

Guess the Magic being up on the Pistons makes it a little more palatable lol. Not in favor of either team but we definitely underestimated the Magic the last week and went in soft with no game plan

I really think they didn't want to beat the sixers. I wanted to play the sixers because the hornets struggle with physical teams and they got straight up punked by the magic. They probably would have been embarrassed by the Pistons in a series so it is what it is. Hopefully they take a step and finish top 6 next year

[Basbear]

Da FUCCK WAS that?!??!

 

 

[Jackie Lee]

Screw it I'm going for the Knicks, see if they can do the thing before they run Brunson into the ground Kemba style

[toldozer]

Did mjs cheap ass buy the blazers? No just the hurricanes owner who apparently also is a cheap ass. How do you pay 4.5 billion dollars then ask staffers to check out early of a hotel to avoid late fees and not let your two away players travel to away playoff games like every other team. 

[frankw]

Hawks winning in the *actual* playoffs after trading away their star and retooling their roster a couple times over. It's interesting what you can accomplish as a franchise when you don't operate with emotional attachment.

[Zaximus]

I think there is good points in this thread to what the team needs to do.

1) Ball isn't really the issue but, he needs reigned in.  Coach and he need to realize when things aren't falling from the three and learn to play other facets of the game.  He's an amazing talent and when he's on, he's on.  But he can also shoot you out of a game.  We're lucky Miami went that way but that is too many missed threes.  He still needs to bulk up if he can, but he needs to drive more.  He's pretty good at finishing usually and hopefully the fouls come (probably not though).  

2) The whole team needs to be more physical.  As others have stated, we need more bulk in our bigs.  Diabate is a hurricane of energy but cannot go against the larger centers.  I love him on the team but he should be more of a match up type guy or energy off the bench.  I think he'd be insane off the bench.  However I think the biggest issue with Diabate and Kaulk is the lack of offensive game.  The lack of a jump shot or anything.  Teams figured out to just leave them on the screen and crash lanes.  There has to be some sort of threat.  We need a 4 and a 5 that can do those things and stretch out the court.

3) Bridges.  He's just undersized.  However, I feel he really threw his all into it the last few weeks when others were gassed.  He was ok not being a focal point.  I'd like to have him off the bench as well but I assume he'd be traded to make things work. 

4) Miller.  Dude can light it up when on, but disappears for quarters at a time.  Also he needs to work on ball handling and passing.  He's a turnover machine at bad times.  Also hopefully over the injury so he can bulk up too.  

5) Kon. Just a rookie.  Long season and back injury.  I have no doubt he'll be back stronger and focused.  Needs to work on defense and physicality like the whole team but yes, a rookie he'll get there.

6) Coby.  Has to be resigned, no question.  The bench lineup is rough without him running the point. 

Team has big potential and the front office seems sharp.  They seen the hive and how crazy it got and how much the city wants this.