The NBA Season is back! Just like your favorite superhero story, the NBA brings fun, entertainment, and a lot of uncanny subplots to unpack. That’s why NBA.com Philippines decided to preview the new season comic-book style. We pick out fantastic characters that will take the stage and new amazing arcs to watch out for. Bang! Pow! Boom! Let’s go!
What’s their superpower?
The Charlotte Hornets are a young team that is in its transition stage. The 2022-2023 was a bad year overall for them because of an issue involving Miles Bridges and multiple ankle injuries to LaMelo Ball. A decade of poor drafting and playoff no-shows has culminated in basketball legend Michael Jordan selling his majority shares.
Despite this abysmal period of the Hornets, there is still hope as the team right now is focused on their long-term future. They have a lot of draft picks, an option that many teams envy. With the team unlikely to reach the playoffs in the next few seasons, they’re going to be prioritizing drafting the best players available considering the lack of high-end talent.
What’s their kryptonite?
The Hornets’ greatest strength is also actually their weakness. Although they have a lot of potential lying around because of how young they are, it’s also going to be a source of challenges in this coming season. Charlotte has players 22 years old or younger on the roster, and they will continue to see who will develop accordingly or who can stick around long-term.
Veteran forward Gordon Hayward only has one year left on his deal while Terry Rozier doesn’t really seem to fit the mold with a young core that is far away from contending. Overall, a clear roadmap in terms of the roster and offense isn’t really there yet for the Hornets. There would also be growing pains as they will be transitioning into a new leadership steered by Rick Shnall and Gabe Plotkin.
Who is their biggest hero?
LaMelo Ball. Enough said. The Charlotte Hornets will be reaping the benefits of having one of the most dynamic young players in the league return to their lineup. They clearly could use his services as the team struggled heavily when he was injured. He also recently inked a five-year, $260 million supermax extension, cementing himself as the franchise cornerstone for the seasons to come.
Who is their biggest villain?
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs will likely be Charlotte’s most exciting matchup.
The Hornets weren’t able to win Wemby in last year’s draft, but they got the second pick Brandon Miller. It’s going to be exciting to see the two face off and possibly see them play their A-games against each other.
How does their story (season) play out?
The Hornets’ upcoming season looks bright if Ball stays healthy and if their other young players develop into solid players who can share the load with the superstar. There’s not much chance that the team could enter the postseason since they haven’t found the right formula yet but it would be exciting to see how the team will pan out as they try to maximize their flexibility this season.
