![]() Gordon Hayward got $63 million for somewhat similar numbers. Yes, this means we just went through an offseason that saw Jordan Hill get paid more annually than Stephenson. The icing on the cake was that he was signed for only three years and $27 million. The Hornets made a surprising yet fantastic move by prying Lance Stephenson from the mighty Indiana Pacers recently, delivering a swift blow to the balance of power in the East. The man of ear-blowing, LeBron-trolling, triple-doubling fame is the first newcomer on this list. Walker is still the engine that drives this ship, and Charlotte needs him to keep growing and developing to get them to that next level. With an improved roster, he will continue to grow and become a better student of the game, continuing to make his teammates better in the process. The next step for Walker will be shot selection. The two worked very well together in pick-and-roll situations, but Walker must figure out how to better utilize the big man's presence to create open shots. This means that he has not completely figured out how to play with more talent around him, namely Jefferson. He also took considerably less shots at the rim. His field-goal percentage once again dipped below 40 percent largely due to the fact that he took 25.6 percent of his shots from no-man's land of 16 feet out to the three-point line. While Walker definitely took steps forward on defense and as an overall leader, he still has work to do. Both of these things could be attributed to new coach Steve Clifford and the reliability of Al Jefferson as a paint protector. He also saw a slight uptick in his rebounding. For example, his defensive rating was at a career-best 105, according to. His improvement could only be found deep on the stat sheet. Kemba Walker had a good year last season, but he can still do better. Hairston could make this one of the scariest teams in the East if they buy into the system and show some early poise.Īssuming that everyone stays healthy and most of the dust has settled in the land of free agency, let's dive into your projected 2014-15 Charlotte Hornets starting lineup. The only significant loss from last year's roster will be Josh McRoberts, an absence that could quickly be alleviated depending on how quickly No. Charlotte now has all the opportunity in the world to ring in the new era behind a contender led by stalwarts Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. The Eastern Conference has been shaken up and left wide open. Among them will be whether or not they can build on last season's huge improvement and what exactly the starting lineup will look like? However, the offseason did leave the Hornets with a question or two. The buzz will be back and better than ever behind a starting five that would put any of those in Bobcats history to shame. It’s highly unlikely given the economics of the salary cap and the stage the roster building is currently in that the team will go into the luxury tax to sign all those players though Ujiri does have that leeway from ownership he says.The offseason started with a few swings and misses by the Charlotte Hornets on the NBA free-agency front, but owner Michael Jordan, general manager Rich Cho and the rest of the clan saved face by making a few very nice moves after the initial flurry died down.Īll of a sudden, the starting lineup will look quite a bit stronger, which in turn will fortify the bench. join Poeltl and Barton as unrestricted free agents, those are four players that are making their own decisions about leaving or coming back. (Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports) Photo by Nell Redmond / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Conīut assuming VanVleet and Trent Jr. Anunoby dunks against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center. are all restricted free agents meaning the team can hold on to them if they choose. Both are expected to turn down those options and become unrestricted free agents joining two others, Jakob Poeltl and veteran reserve Will Barton, as the freest of Raptors this summer.ĭalano Banton and last year’s two-way players Jeff Dowtin Jr. ![]() They have two players with player options in Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. Some of the change may not even be in the Raptors’ control. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.
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