ESPN news: 4 players honored by the team and what is expected of them……
The Charlotte Hornets “core nucleus” included LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and the team’s sixth-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Charlotte Hornets’ primary goal for the upcoming season should be improvement. It’s time for them to go up after spending the last few years at the bottom of the standings.
Over the previous few seasons, LaMelo Ball has struggled with injuries, and several other Hornets players have also struggled to stay on the court.
However, Charlotte must decide going ahead who they are willing to let go of, who is merely a supporting role, and around whom they want to create.
The “core nucleus” of the franchise, which includes Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and the player the team chooses with the sixth choice in the 2024 NBA Draft, is what new governor Gabe Plotkin just discussed.
He discussed it in an interview that he did for his podcast, Standpoint, with Gabriel Groisman. (Thanks to All Hornets’ Matt Alquiza)
With Brandon, a very high pick in this year’s draft, returning, and LaMelo and Mark, we start to develop a core nucleus that can help us construct a club long into the future. “”That was crucial, as two of our key starters missed the entirety of the season.””
– Plotkin, Gabe
Although Ball hasn’t been able to play consistently for a few seasons, he is one of the NBA’s most dynamic point guards in terms of both playmaking and scoring.
Miller recently completed an extremely successful rookie campaign. The 2023 second-overall selection appears poised to develop into one of the league’s top young wings.
Despite missing much of the previous season due to injury, Williams appeared to be a center who would complement Ball offensively and serve as the foundation of Charlotte’s defense early in the campaign.
Finally, the Hornets will have a few good alternatives this year when they choose with their sixth pick, which most likely includes G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, UConn guard Stephon Castle, and guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham of Kentucky.
Barring any unanticipated injuries, Ball, Miller, and Williams will surely be in the Hornets starting lineup the next season. The rookie they select may also be included.
The club obviously wants to win, even if new head coach Charles Lee is free to steer the team in any manner he deems suitable based on his highly regarded term as assistant coach. Not another reconstruction.
The Hornets, led by their recently designated “core nucleus,” are hungry to advance.
