Charlotte Hornets: A Legacy of Failure

The greatest basketball player to ever step foot on the planet has unfortunately failed to translate his skills into the owner’s chair. Michael Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets has failed to bring any semblance of success to the organization. After the recent overpaying of Terry Rozier, I figured it’d be fun to take a look at all the stupidity and lolcows that have come from Charlotte.

Drafting Cody Zeller

“With the 4th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select, Steven Ada-wait, no, the Charlotte Hornets select, Rudy Gob-Oh come on! The Charlotte Hornets select, Cody Zeller.” You really screwed the pooch here, Michael. Cody Zeller isn’t a bust, but he’s not a 4th overall pick kind of guy. Zellers best season was actually 2018-19, where Zeller averaged 10-6-2. Rudy Gobert won DPOY but that’s none of my business.

Signing Lance Stephenson

Born Ready? More like Born Ready to disrupt a lockerroom and get benched, because that’s what happened to Lance Stephenson after he signed a 3yr/$27 million contract with the Hornets in 2014. Lance joined the squad and he was a toxic, cancer in the locker room and was benched after just 25 games. The Hornets would end up losing 10 more games than they did the year previous, and was shipped off to the Clippers just a year after signing.

Trading for Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard is the most tumultuous center in the NBA for a long time. His off-court antics haven’t been justified by his on-court talent and performance since his Orlando days, and it’s really taken a toll on him, and his teammates. Dwight went from one of the best in the league to an overpaid, underskilled rebounder who can’t stay with a team for more than a season. And that’s exactly what Dwight was for the Hornets. He did not turn into Kemba’s co-star and was gone the next summer.

Rejecting 4 1st-Round Picks

Y’know that famous deal the Celtics took that bagged them 4 1st-round picks? The same picks that lured Kyrie to Boston, and set the Celtics up for the future? Ya, well, and don’t get mad, but MJ had a shot at those picks and said no. The Celtics offered the Hornets those 4 picks for the 9th overall pick in the 2015 draft. The Hornets said no because they were really high on Frank “The Tank” Kaminsky. Yikes. Frank has become a fringe starter/bench big-man since being drafted and that rejected offer has become on of the famous “What if’s?” of the NBA.

Drafting Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist 2nd Overall

Oh my gosh Mike, not again, man. It’s the summer of 2012, the Hornets are coming off of a 7-59 season and they have the 2nd overall pick. Here’s who’s on the board: Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Kris Middleton, to name a few. Anthony Davis was just selected with the 1st pick, by New Orleans. So, it’s time to draft the foundation of your franchise. It’s time to cash in those 59 losses. It’s time to pick…Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. At the time this pick might have made sense, as Kidd-Gilchrist was a long, strong, wing-defender who could lock down guys without a problem. He was a good defender and while didn’t have a great offensive game, he could refine those skills in the league. Well, he didn’t. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in all intents and purposes is a bust. He hasn’t refined his game, he isn’t a fantastic defender, and he has become a liability on the offensive end that makes his impact easy to miss as his defender, but hard to miss as a fan.

That’s it really.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haha, like shit it is, keep reading.

Letting Kemba Walk(er) & Signing Terry Rozier

Double header time! First up we have letting Kemba Walker, the franchises All-Star point guard walk in FA because they lowballed him. Charlotte was eligible to offer him $221 million. They shouldn’t have offered him that because he’s not worth that, and I’m glad they didn’t. But at least offer him something that will make wasting his prime in this trash heap worth. In classic Hornets fashion, they didn’t, reportedly “lowballing” Kemba and essentially giving him the middle finger while he signed with the Celtics. Nice.

 

Now, if you are going to let him walk, at least have a backup plan. Maybe you guys should rebuild? Start the tank? Trade Kaminsky? Zeller? No? Sign Terry Rozier to a $57 million contract? Sure. Why not? Here’s why not you idiots. Terry Rozier is an athletic, egotistical backup point guard who let his team down when they needed him because he, along with the majority of the Celtics, decided to shoot 28% against the Bucks in the ECSF. Look, he’s a good player, but he’s not worth $57 million over 3 years. Hell, NBA execs ranked this signing as the third-worst move of the entire offseason and you don’t think that’s a problem? Well, maybe you do but it’s too late now. For your sake let’s just hope Miles Bridges turns into something.