There is an ominous cloud hanging over the young and ascending Charlotte Hornets as their leading scorer from last season and arguably their best player, Miles Bridges was arrested on three counts of domestic violence in July.
He pleaded not guilty, but he’ll have his preliminary hearing September 29th and it’s hard to see this getting resolved anytime soon.
Between LeMelo Ball, Terry Rosier, P.J. Washington and talented sixth man Kelly Oubre Jr. there remains a lot of young talent on the team, but the loss of Bridges and no notable additions is a huge loss.
It may force Gordon Hayward into extended minutes at small forward and he’s now 32 years-old and already injury prone.
Given how stacked the Eastern Conference is, the Hornets really have their work cut out for them to keep pace.
Charlotte Hornets Season Outlook:
Projected Starting Lineup: PG LeMelo Ball, SG Terry Rozier, SF Gordon Hayward, PF P.J. Washington, C Mason Plumlee
Head coach: Steve Clifford
Notable Additions: None
Draft Picks: C Mark Williams (15th overall)
Hornets Arena: Spectrum Center
Hornets NBA Schedule: NBA.com
2022-23 Charlotte Hornets NBA Futures Odds
- Odds to win the 2023 NBA Championship: 150/1
- Odds to win the 2022-23 Eastern Conference: 80/1
- Odds to win the 2022-23 Southeast Division: +1500
- 2022-23 Regular Season Win Total: Over 36½ (-115)
- Odds to Make the Playoffs: Yes +220 | No -300
- Official website: nba.com/hornets
- Twitter Account : @hornets
2022-23 Charlotte Hornets NBA Award Top Contenders
6th Man OTY: Kelly Oubre Jr. +2000
Most Improved Player: LaMelo Ball +2500
Rookie OTY: Mark Williams +2500
Liev Jackson NBA Season Prediction on Hornets:
It is one thing to have the Bridges situation imposed on you, it is another to essentially do nothing to replace or improve the roster in other ways. The Hornets had their first winning season in six years last year and it still meant a tenth-place finish in the conference.
They are counting on their young core to keep improving and while that’s likely to happen, this is a team likely to stay in the cushy middle and it’s hard to like much when betting on their team results.
Mark Williams however should be a monster on defense and able to get solid minutes up front and that makes him a sneaky ROY pick if he can also produce some points.
Favorite bets for the season at current odds include:
- Rookie OTY: Mark Williams +2500
- 2022-23 Regular Season Win Total: Under 36½ (-115)
2021-22 Record: 43-39
My Record Prediction: 35-47
NBA Odds According to Bovada as of September, 2022
Bet on the Charlotte Hornets 2022-23 Season at Bovada Sportsbook.
