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The 2021-22 NBA season will attempt to be as close to a normal NBA season as possible after two years playing through a pandemic. The COVID situation in the United States has not improved as much as expected, but the league expects to get a full 82 games in while pushing for its players, coaches and staff to get vaccinated.
DKNation will be going through all 30 teams ahead of the season, looking at how the roster shapes up for the 2021-22 campaign. Here we take a look at the Charlotte Hornets, who have a young squad headlined by LaMelo Ball looking to get to the playoffs after being bounced in the play-in round last season.
Charlotte Hornets 2021-22 Outlook
Key additions: Kelly Oubre Jr., James Bouknight, Kai Jones
These are all great additions for Charlotte, although Bouknight could have a tough time getting minutes early with Terry Rozier and Ball manning the backcourt. Oubre is a solid wing player and Jones is an athletic big man who can run the floor well. All three players should be solid rotation pieces for the Hornets this season.
Key departures: Malik Monk, Devonte’ Graham, Cody Zeller
Monk departing hurts, but the Hornets were right to avoid paying a premium for Graham and Zeller. Charlotte even got some assets back in the Graham sign-and-trade. The team will miss Monk’s shooting after a strong season, but the Hornets still have the core in place for the future.
Season expectations
There are some veterans on this team, notably Gordon Hayward and Rozier, but the Hornets are still a young team looking to show signs of growth. The expectation is to build on last season’s play-in appearance with a playoff berth, but development from the young core is the primary objective.
Fantasy basketball player to watch: Miles Bridges
We’ve all seen the dunks, but Bridges needs to show he can more than a highlight reel this season. The forward nearly went 50-40-90 last season largely in a bench role, but Bridges should be a starter and play in crunch minutes to be considered a worthy pick at No. 12. Assuming the three-point shooting holds, he offers great value in DFS and as a utility player in deep leagues.