The Charlotte Hornets are a better team, on paper, than last season, at least offensively. The additions of Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum among others doesn’t just improve the quality of players; it completely transforms one of the most primitive offense in the NBA.
If you’re looking for a great read about the potential of the Charlotte Hornets offense this season, check out LamarMatic’s NBA Blog post about the Hornets’ revamped offense. In short, having Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum makes this team capable of doing a lot of things they couldn’t last season. The presence of Spencer Hawes and Frank Kaminsky, while also getting someone like Jeremy Lamb on the team, means the Hornets are finally catching up with the rest of the NBA, and becoming a team that can shoot 3-pointers. But there’s a lot more to this in an excellent article by Reinis Lacis.
Last season they were 26th in the NBA in 3-pointers made, 24th in those shots attempted and dead last in the NBA when it comes to 3-point accuracy at 31.8%. They were tied at the bottom with the Philadelphia 76ers for points per shot, 1.11.
The best teams in the NBA shoot 3’s, and a lot. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers were the top 6 teams in 3-point made last season. The Hornets might not launch themselves into the top 10 of the NBA right away, but they showed their intentions in the preseason by shooting over 25 times from beyond the arc, featuring big men like Spencer Hawes and Frank Kaminsky who should make teams that leave them open pay dearly.
Now that the preseason schedule is over, it’s mostly about speculation and getting ready for the actual thing. Jeremy Lin, this is probably the most optimistic scenario he’s been in regarding his ability to make an impact and be a central figure on a team since before James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. It’s not HIS team, but if the preseason is anything to go by, Steve Clifford is going to be a lot more accommodating to Lin’s basketball style compared to his last two coaches, which means only good things for the Hornets.