30 Team Hornets in 30 days: Can three goals be more reliable? Miller holds hope of reshaping

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets' nightmare cycled again. In terms of record, the Hornets only achieved 19 wins in the entire regular season, writing a dismal record of the lowest winning rate in the past 12 years in team history. In terms of personnel, the Hornets' core lineup was injured again. In the whole team, only a little supporting role like Diabart has attended more than 70 games... Throughout the season, from three goals, to Brandon Miller, to Mark Williams in the inside, everyone was holding a special care manual. What's even more exaggerated is that in the middle of the season, Ma Wei was obviously sent to the Lakers in a big deal, but also due to health problems, because the Lakers questioned the Hornets' concealed injuries, he was forced to return the goods...

Last summer, when Charles Lee, a young coach born in the 1980s, joined, Hornets fans were looking forward to a ray of fresh wind blowing into the locker room. After all, before becoming the head coach of the Hornets, Li won NBA championships in the Bucks and the Celtics as assistant coaches... However, after a season of play, the helpless reality proved that Li was no better than his predecessors Clifford and Borrego. Throughout the season, the Hornets were not competitive in the East, and most of their game days were reduced to lambs that were slaughtered by their opponents. They had no fixed plans, no fixed style of play, let alone any real desire to fight.

When the schedule came to the last month, the Hornets even made a hopeless attitude of giving up. Throughout April, they did not win a single game. It was also after this 7-game losing streak that the Hornets won the third worst record in the league and became one of the popular teams to draw the No. 1 pick in the draft year.

But ironically, the Hornets had more than 90% chance of failing to grab a third-tier draft pick. Due to the Mavericks' super counterattack on the draft draw night, the Hornets were squeezed to the fourth pick in the first round in a mess. This awkward pick also means that they not only missed the once-in-a-decade super genius Flag, but also missed the top stars such as Harper and Edgecomb...

This summer, the Hornets did not make too many splashes in the market. They finally sent Ma Wei away and sold another big gate in the inside to the Jazz. On the outside, the team gave up on Misic and Okogi. But the few new players that the Hornets replaced (or) were not at all stunning.

Among them, Plumley is an old acquaintance of the Hornets. He played for this team two years ago, but for a 35-year-old veteran, he cannot be expected to do more on the offensive end or on the defense. Ding Weidi, who is also famous, had the ability to average 20+ points per game at his peak, but after he reached the age of 30, Lao Ding's stadium value has shrunk and he is no longer a gold medal mercenary. In addition, the Hornets also gave Trey Man a three-year contract extension this summer and exchanged veteran Connaughton from the Bucks. However, these operations have a very limited impact, both from the current practical perspective and from the long-term layout of reconstruction.

In contrast, Sexton's addition is even more interesting. In terms of age, Sexton is only 26 years old and is in his first year of playing. So far in his career, his average output per game has been close to 20 points. But looking at Sexton's seven-year career, he has never equated his data with his real leadership ability. Whether in the Cavaliers or the Jazz, his limited team awareness and lack of field observation have become serious constraints for the continued iteration and upgrading of his career. And how many inspiration will such a player with only enthusiasm and brute force stir up after entering the Hornets system?

However, the Hornets are not useless. At least, the No. 4 pick Knuper, they won in this year's draft, quickly gave the team positive feedback. In fact, the Hornets have encountered many doubts about choosing this small forward with poor physical talent. Even after the draft, Knuper was at the top of the list of rookies who were "most likely to lose" next season. But in the summer league just one month later, Knuper verified the management's vision. He led the Hornets to win the Summer League championship with a total of 6 games, and he was also awarded the MVP for his continued and stable performance.

Of course, how much progress the Hornets can make in the new season depends on the situation of the core trio of Three Goals, Miller and Xiaoqiao. The good news is that Miller is now close to full recovery after undergoing right wrist surgery last season. Last season, Miller only played 27 games in total, but his average of 21 points, 3.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game has created a certain amount of room for imagination for the outside world. If Miller can further improve his finishing ability in the new season, the tactical layout within the Hornets will be easier to straighten out.

Koqiao still averaged 20.2 points per game last season. But it should be noted that over the past year, his three-point shooting percentage has been only 31.3%. As an athlete with limited discipline and in a casual environment, Xiaoqiao can easily become an unreasonable man who shoots birds indiscriminately. The four big words "reason and efficiency" are exactly what he needs to reshape and polish next season.

However, in the new season, if the Hornets want to play more reasonably and to improve their execution, on the one hand, young coach Charles Lee needs to work hard to clean up military discipline. But more importantly, we have to rely on the on-site commander "Three Balls". Two years ago in the summer, Sanqiu received a five-year maximum salary (early) renewal of his contract as he wished. Last season, it was his first year on his new contract, although his output was gorgeous, and he averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. But in the eyes of industry insiders, the three balls are still not a qualified leader, and this is also reflected in the All-Star vote in the mid-season. He was obviously favored by fans, but in the end he became a pill of embarrassment..

Perhaps, in the second year of drawing a clear line with Jordan, the Hornets wanted to develop in a more pragmatic direction, but because of the cool playing style and poor health, the core of the team's bumpy status is likely to be difficult to change in the short term... In the new season, the Hornets may be able to become a disruptor in the Eastern Conference territory at certain nights or at certain times of the season, but it is likely that they will make a complete change and become a dark horse in the division or a genuine competitor.