The start of a new era for the Charlotte Hornets is just days away as the team will open up the 2024-25 season on the road against the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. EST

Even after back-to-back extremely disappointing seasons, the Hornets are a trendy team in the Eastern Conference to make a surge and potentially sneak into the play-in tournament. Will they?

Here’s what our staff sees playing out in year one under Charles Lee.

Unlike in recent years, the Hornets will court an exciting, competitive product in 2024-25. Charles Lee is a home run hire and fans should be able to see that despite another losing season.

The Hornets are healthy (for now) for the first time in a long time. It’s going to take some time for this bunch to learn how to play with one another, win together, lose together, and climb out of tough stretches together.

This season is about setting the foundation and the standard for the future. Serious progress is made, but Charlotte comes up just shy of a spot in the play-in.

As badly as Hornets fans want to see this team make the playoffs this year, they’re still a year away. The Hornets owe a lottery-protected first-round pick to San Antonio, and it would be wise for them to make that selection next summer to add one more top-end piece to the core of Ball, Miller, Salaün, and Williams.

Charles Lee is going to have Charlotte playing exciting, competitive basketball, but ultimately the lack of depth will hamstring the Hornets in the long haul.

The Charlotte Hornets will face plenty of issues this year. Their big man rotation (especially if Mark Williams’ health continues to falter), the shot selection of the two stars LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller on offense which will be a lot of 3’s, and a lack of talent and depth compared to other established teams in the East.

And these concerns don’t even account for potential health issues, which have been a detrimental problem in the past. Fans should have seen enough in the preseason to be encouraged, but there are plenty of things that could go wrong and hold them back from making the playoffs despite the best efforts of Ball and Miller.

The Hornets have a young core that should generate excitement for fans as they aim to compete for a play-in spot and take a step in the right direction. However, their success will largely depend on LaMelo Ball’s health and the team’s ability to develop chemistry.

If they can stay healthy and improve their defensive play, they might surprise some critics. Nevertheless, the Eastern Conference is highly competitive, and the Hornets will need to perform at a high level to secure any chance at a postseason berth.

If healthy, the Charlotte Hornets will be one of the most fun watches in the league this year. I expect a huge leap from Brandon Miller to the point where he may very well become the actual face of the franchise. The main issue is the logjam in front of the Hornets in the East. The Celtics, Knicks, Bucks, Pacers, Heat, and 76ers are all better and more experienced than the Hornets. The Hornets get the 7th seed, win the play-in game, and actually get into a playoff series this year.

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