The Charlotte Hornets have made the playoffs one time in the last decade. Unfortunately for them, it appears that this trend will continue this year. At the All-Star break, they are 13-39 and own the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Despite there being a lot of talent in Charlotte, the Hornets are constantly near the bottom of the standings, leading to NBA expert Ryen Russillo recently giving them an unfortunate superlative.
In a recent interview, Russillo named the Hornets as the team in the worst spot in the NBA. Russillo acknowledged that there is a lot of talent in Charlotte, but they will have to make a decision on LaMelo Ball in the future.
Which NBA team is in the worst spot right now pic.twitter.com/AdTbqpBbzR
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“I think Charlotte’s actually in a pretty bad spot even though they’ve done a good job of- they’ve got to make a LaMelo decision. I looked it up the other day, his shots per 100 is the highest we’ve seen since Kobe Bryant‘s in 2006… He’s the number one fan voting,” Russillo said.
Ball is a talented player, but he is not leading to winning basketball. Deciding whether to commit to him as their franchise player for the long run is what Russillo is alluding to.
Ryen Russillo Reveals Why the Charlotte Hornets Are ‘In a Pretty Bad Spot’
LaMelo Ball to Remain in Charlotte?
Despite the situation, it seems likely that the Hornets will keep Ball for the long term. The California native is in the first year of his five-year, $203.8 million contract. Furthermore, Yahoo! Sports’ Tom Haberstroh recently said that, according to sources, Ball “is still a part” of Charlotte’s future.
“I thought maybe LaMelo Ball could have been traded at the deadline, but from what I was told, LaMelo Ball is still a part of this team’s future. He’s a foundational piece. Mark Williams was not deemed that. I think part of the reason they moved on was the injury concerns. How long can we wait for LaMelo Ball, who has been injured? Brandon Miller is out for the season. How much can you wait when the three core players you’re counting on have played a grand total of 16 games together?”
As it stands, it sounds like the Hornets will not move Ball any time soon. Whether this is the right call or not remains unclear. However, when healthy, Ball is an explosive offensive player who should only continue to get better.
The Last Word
Despite Russillo’s comments, there is a lot to like about the Hornets. Even outside of Ball, Charlotte possesses a lot of young stars. Notably, Brandon Miller finished third in Rookie of the Year voting just last year. Prior to his season-ending wrist injury after 23 games, Miller was in the midst of a career leap. Once he returns next season, he will remind the basketball world how bright his future is.
The playoffs are not on the horizon for Charlotte. However, they still have a bright future.
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