The low-key Hornets, have the pieces of the reconstruction puzzle pieced together?

Last season, Hornets coach Ball only played 22 games, allowing the team to start looking forward to next season early. Since the 2023-24 season, the team's main players Ball, Miller, Bridges, and Mawei have only played 8 games, and their health has affected the team's performance for two consecutive years. The main center Mawei was injured before the season, making it difficult for new coach Charles Lee to have a chance.

After entering the 2023-24 season, Ball was still the core of the team's offense, leading the team to a record of 16 wins and 31 losses on the field. However, when he was unable to play due to injury, the Hornets' record was a terrible 3 wins and 32 losses.

Other highlights, such as defender Trey Mann, played as a sixth man in the first 13 games of the season before being injured. The 27-year-old Bridges has also become one of the top veterans in the team. Although the overall data has declined, he still carries the scoring firepower despite the wave of injuries.

Other players also encountered serious health crises. Gerwei, Okogie, and Miller were reimbursed one after another. Before the mid-season trade deadline, the Lakers wanted to trade for Marvel, but the decision was canceled due to a failed physical examination. These unexpected events caused the Hornets to lose the motivation to compete for the play-offs in the second half of the season.

In the end, they only got a dismal record of 19 wins and 63 losses. Considering the Hornets' reconstruction timeline and player attendance, this can be regarded as a preparation season for the Hornets to accumulate potential.

Judging from the season data, under the Hornets' team's reliance on singles, Ball once became the focus of fans with a large number of three-pointers and acrobatic offenses. He handed over the league's first usage rate of 35.9%, which translated into an average of 11.2 three-pointers per game, as well as career-low 40.5% field goal percentage and 33.9% three-point shooting rate.

Although he only played 47 games due to injury and was unable to be selected for the season award, he still averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game, and averaged 3.8 three-pointers per game. He also had explosive statistics of 50+5+10 in a single game. He was widely loved by fans but still missed the All-Star Game.

As for Brandon Miller, he also followed Ball and tried a lot of three-point shooting, which increased from 6.7 to 10.9. In the second season, he began to assume more independent offensive tasks, averaging 21 points, 3.9 three-pointers and a 35.5% three-point shooting rate. Although the turnovers increased to 2.8 times, his shooting rate was only 40%. However, as the offensive development becomes more and more comprehensive, this can be regarded as a development period worth investing in.

Rookie Tijani Salon played 60 games last season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, shooting 33% from the field and only 28.3% from three-point range. Judging from the standards of the sixth overall pick, he is still a little disappointed. He is the echelon of lottery rookies with poor performance. In the new season, he needs more time to adapt to the intensity of the NBA.

The 23-year-old Diabate started from a two-way contract, went from outside the rotation to entering the rotation, and then landed in the starting lineup. He had a single offensive method and did not have a physical advantage. However, he used his athletic ability and game hard work to gain stable playing time. The team also decided to recognize his outstanding performance and gave him a three-year contract early. He finally handed over a data sheet of 71 games, averaging 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which can be regarded as a breakthrough in his career.

New season lineup changes:

With the fourth pick in the draft, Con Knippel from Duke was selected to supplement peripheral firepower and ball-handling options; in the free market, they also signed Dinwiddie (retired), Connaughton, Plumlee and other experienced veterans, retained Trey Mann, and traded for Sexton, who averaged 17 points and 4 assists per game, to build a supporting team for Ball and Miller. Judging from the offseason, the Hornets' backline rotation is adequate.

As for the forward position, Okogie was laid off, and two centers, Mawei and Nurkic, were traded. In the new season, the team's internal line will be mainly responsible for Plumlee, Diabate, Salon, and Kalkbrenner; relatively speaking, some veterans have degenerated, and some newcomers still need to gain experience. It may be appropriate from a defensive perspective, but the offense may not be optimistic enough.

For the Hornets in the new season, in the second year of coach Charles Lee's coaching, I still hope to see some new content. The team has made some achievements in lineup adjustment and young player development during the offseason, but it is still some distance away from qualifying for the playoffs and even the play-offs. It lacks a stable offensive and defensive system and it is difficult to maintain competitiveness throughout the game. These are problems that the Hornets have not solved in recent years.

Referring to other teams with young stars, such as the Pelicans, Grizzlies, etc., their player development has also been limited due to injuries, which ultimately disrupted the team's reconstruction progress. The Hornets seem to be unavoidable. How to control the health of core players in the future is also a big problem.

But overall, Ball and Miller are still a good enough young duo. How to maximize their influence in the new season is particularly critical. Although he has been coaching for one season, Charles Lee's goals for the new season are still not simple enough.

Variables behind the scenes of the team:

The health status of Ball and Miller;

The offensive growth of Saron and Diabate;

The development space and team positioning of rookies;

The coach Charles Lee's adjustment of offensive and defensive strategies;

Expectations for the new season:

Ball was selected as an All-Star:

The team's offensive efficiency reached the first half of the league;

The wins reached 30+ in the new season.