Predicting the Charlotte Hornets’ 2014-15 Win Total

By Nick Ziegler @ziggy26x on October 29, 2014

One of the more pleasant surprises of the 2013-14 NBA season was the Charlotte Bobcats, who are now the Charlotte Hornets again, were back in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference after years of poor records and top draft picks. Michael Jordan is on the quest for a championship ring as an owner, and after those years of troubles he has helped build a team that looks to be a factor in the East for years to come.

Most recently the Bobcats were able to lock up their young point guard Kemba Walker to a four-year, $48 million extension, which looks to be a steal for the Hornets. Last season Walker was main reason that Charlotte was back in the playoffs, as he averaged 17.7 points, 6.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. Walker will be entering his fourth year in the NBA, and there is no reason to think that he won’t be having another great season in 2014-15.

A major reason for Charlotte’s turnaround and playoff run last season was that they were able to make a big splash in free agency by signing one of the more underrated centers in the league in Al Jefferson. Sadly in the playoffs last season Jefferson would hurt his foot, which ended any chance of Charlotte pulling off an upset against the Miami Heat.

This offseason the Hornets were able to pull off another big signing in the wild card that is Lance Stephenson. Stephenson has a world of talent, which is why the Hornets brought him in, but with that talent comes a bit of instability. Last season was a career year for Stephenson with the Indiana Pacers, as he averaged 13.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Stephenson certainly helps the Hornets on paper, but they will have to keep their eye on him and make sure he stays focused.

Last season the Hornets were 43-39, but with Walker getting another year older along with adding Stephenson, they should be able to improve upon that and reach 46 wins this time around.

Nick Ziegler is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ziggy26x and add him to your network on Google.