Charlotte Hornets NBA Preview Five Things to Watch 2015-16

For the Charlotte Hornets, it has been a summer filled with excitement after yet another disappointing season of missing the playoffs.

After the Hornets held some hope for the future by making the playoffs in the 2013-2014 season, last year was plagued by injuries to Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson and the team finished 33-49, 10 fewer wins than the previous season.

A year ago, there was plenty of excitement and hope surrounding the signing of Lance Stephenson, but that plan didn’t work out well for either side. Stephenson struggled all season, and a year that was supposed to continue the process of building a contender instead became a decided step backward.

Stephenson was traded to the Clippers in June, just part of a busy offseason that included changes through deals, draft picks and free agent signings that recreated some of the excitement of a year ago. The additions of Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lin, Spencer Hawes, Jeremy Lamb and lottery pick Frank Kaminsky has rebuilt the lineup very quickly with the hope of instant success.

The Hornets still have core players such as Jefferson and Walker that will help them continue to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference if they can stay healthy. However, losing starting small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the season to shoulder surgery was a big blow.

The primary goal is to constantly remain completive for a playoff spot in the East. It isn’t likely that the Hornets will contend for title any time soon, but their goal for the next few years it to build a winning environment.

Let’s take a look at the five things to watch from the Hornets this upcoming season.

1. Coach Steve Clifford’s job security

Steve Clifford will definitely be on the hot seat this season. If the team starts poorly, owner Michael Jordan and GM Rich Cho may have a serious decision to make about their head coach. The defensive-minded Clifford has been a good but not great coach for Charlotte, guiding the team to just its second playoff berth since 2004.

It is tough to justify firing Clifford, but in the NBA it teams change coaches within three seasons if the improvement they want is not there.

Through two seasons, Clifford has a record of 76-88, with last season’s step backward undoing a highly positive first campaign. He is now in the final year of his original three-year deal and there has been no talk of an extension. If the Hornets fail to make the playoffs with a rebuilt roster, then that would likely mean the end for Clifford.

2. A return to the playoffs

The Hornets know that they aren’t quite good enough to challenge for an NBA Finals appearance. But they do believe that they have the talent to consistently improve and make the playoffs each season in the bottom of the bracket in the weak Eastern Conference. Going 8-2 in these 10 games would certainly help.

With a lineup that consists of Walker and Jefferson and the new additions of Batum and Lin, the team has made it clear that they are in a win-now mode. Anything less than a playoff appearance this season will definitely be a disappointment for the organization and could lead to another rebuild, given that Jefferson and Batum are in the final year of their contracts.

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3. The impact of Nicolas Batum

Among all of the offseason additions that the Hornets made, Nicolas Batum was easily the biggest name and best player added. Batum was acquired from Portland in a trade that sent unproven Noah Vonleh and impending free agent Gerald Henderson to the Trail Blazers.

Batum will definitely have a much bigger role in Charlotte’s offense than he did in his previous seasons with Portland as his full full skill set will be on display. Clifford has already said that Batum, a natural small forward, will start at shooting guard and be a main option on offense. However, that was before Kidd-Gilchrist’s injury and may change.

Batum is still expected to maintain his great defensive intensity that makes him one of the top perimeter defenders in the league.

With five players still on their rookie deals, the Hornets also will ask the 26-year-old Frenchman to be one of the leaders for this team. It will be interesting to watch Batum’s growth as an all-around player, offensive threat and voice of stability over the course of the season.

4. Can the Hornets be a top-15 offensive team?

Under Clifford, the Hornets have been a top-10 defensive team. But their offense has been far behind their defense over the past two seasons. A season ago, Charlotte was tied for sixth in points allowed and eighth in opponents’ field-goal percentage but 28th in scoring and 29th in points per shot.

Some of that could be attributed to the injury absences of Walker and Jefferson, Charlotte’s best offensive players. But the Hornets also were 29th in overall shooting and dead last in 3-point shooting.

During the offseason, Charlotte set out to find players that would help on offense while not giving away much on the defensive end. Batum (career 36 percent from the arc) certainly fits that bill, while Lin (37 percent last season) and Lamb (35 percent career) have decent perimeter strokes. Hawes and Kaminsky also have shown the ability to knock down threes as big men.

That could work well around Jefferson, who commands a double-team in the post. If everything pans out for the Hornets, they could become a top-15 offensive team while remaining in the top half on defense. Here is a look at the team’s projected lineup for next season.

5. Frank Kaminsky needs to have an instant impact

The Hornets took Kaminsky with the ninth pick in the draft and received some criticism for it. Jefferson and young center Cody Zeller already were on the roster, and Charlotte had just traded for Hawes, who like Kaminsky stretches the floor as a center. Charlotte also declined a deal with the Boston Celtics on draft night that would’ve given the Hornets six draft picks that included four potential first-round picks.

That puts a lot of pressure on Kaminsky to be one of the best selections of this draft. He needs to prove that the Hornets made the right decision to select him over the package from the Celtics. He also needs to help this team get to the playoffs and have a successful season so that they are not stuck in the lottery once again. As of now, it is unclear whether Kaminsky will start or come off the bench.

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Jerry Ray Stephens III is the editor of Swarm and Sting, FanSided’s blog covering the Charlotte Hornets. You can foll him on Twitter @JR_Steph23