Charlotte Hornets Preview - NBA Team Previews 2022-23

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Published on October 1, 2022

2022-23 Charlotte Hornets Team Preview

Looming over this franchise is Miles Bridges' legal troubles. He's coming off a breakout season but his future in the NBA is in jeopardy. Aside from that, things have been relatively quiet for Charlotte. Montrezl Harrell was lost in free agency but replaced by No. 15 overall pick Mark Williams. The Hornets also re-signed Cody Martin.

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2021-22 Record: 43-39; lost in play-in tournament

2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 36.5 wins (DraftKings)

2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +18000 (DraftKings)

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Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Projections, customizable for your league settings.

Charlotte Hornets Fantasy Basketball Preview

LaMelo Ball

Ball immediately impacted fantasy basketball during his rookie season, showing that he can be a significant contributor in multiple categories. He took his game to another level during his second season in the league, averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. While his 42.9 percent shooting from the field was underwhelming, he shot 87.2 percent from the free-throw line, which was an increase of more than 11 percentage points compared to his rookie season. He also put up 2.9 three-pointers per game while shooting 38.9 percent from deep. To top it off, he played in 75 games, making his contributions even more valuable. The Hornets have not made any significant moves around him during the offseason, with their most notable addition being the selection of center Mark Williams in the draft. They are also now dealing with uncertainty surrounding restricted free agent Miles Bridges, who was arrested for felony domestic violence. All of the stars look to be aligning for another big season from Ball. He's a near lock to be gone by the end of the second round in most fantasy drafts, and could require a first-round selection in many leagues.

Terry Rozier

Rozier enters his fourth season in Charlotte coming off back-to-back stout offensive campaigns. He's recorded similar production in each season, combining to average 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals across 142 contests. Last season his three-point percentage dropped to 37.4 percent, but that's a healthy clip, above the league average and alongside a hearty 8.1 attempts per game. His consistency should be valued heading into his age-28 campaign. With a lengthy suspension presumably looming for Miles Bridges, regardless of his future destination, Rozier will be relied on for additional offensive production. An emergence from James Bouknight is the only factor that could detract from Rozier filling the majority of that void. It's a sizable hole, as Bridges was one of Charlotte's highest usage players. Combined with his versatile stats and turnover-averse production, Rozier is a high-floor asset with a boosted ceiling.

P.J. Washington

After opening his NBA career with consecutive solid campaigns, Washington took a small step back last season, posting his lowest per-game averages of 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. His other numbers -- 2.3 assists, 1.7 three-pointers, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals -- remained steady, but it certainly wasn't the breakout campaign one might hope for from a young player in his third season. Context matters, of course, and it is vital in Washington's case, as he spent much of the season adjusting to a new role as a reserve after starting in all but four of his first 122 NBA contests. The Kentucky product moved to the bench for the start of the campaign to make room for Miles Bridges, though Washington returned to a starting role for each of Charlotte's contests from Feb. 15 onward. With Bridges' NBA future in serious doubt following an offseason arrest on multiple felony charges of domestic violence, Washington appears poised to open next season back in the starting unit, which should allow him to build upon what has been an impactful-but-unspectacular opening to his professional career. Washington isn't going to carry fantasy squads in any one category, but he does multiple things well enough to make him a worthwhile target in the back half of upcoming drafts.

Gordon Hayward

Hayward's numbers dipped a bit in his second season in Charlotte, as his per-game averages of 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 three-pointers and 1.0 steals were down from his previous campaign. The drop-off was due partly to a reduction from 34 to just under 32 minutes per contest of playing time, though it's also notable that the veteran forward recorded his lowest field-goal percentage (45.9 percent) in six seasons. More significantly, Hayward again had trouble staying on the court. He played in only 49 games, including just one after Feb. 7. It marked the third consecutive season during which he has missed a significant chunk of time, and he has played in only one contest during the period of fantasy playoffs over the past two campaigns. Fantasy managers tend to remember such things, and the combination of injuries and dropping numbers make it reasonable to expect him to fall further down draft boards for the coming season. There's still reason to like Hayward's well-rounded game, and the likely absence of restricted free agent Miles Bridges, who is facing serious legal consequences after being charged with three felony counts of domestic violence in the offseason, could result in Charlotte looking more to Hayward to fill the void. However, he will be 32 years old entering the 2022-23 campaign, which doesn't bode particularly well for his chances of suddenly regaining season-long health.

Kelly Oubre

It's fair to say that Oubre's first season in Charlotte was full of both ups and downs, seeing him end the campaign as the 156th-ranked player in per-game production in eight-category roto leagues. While he did serve as a sixth man for the majority of the season, he slid into the opening lineup from time to time, usually at times when others around him were injured. His averages of 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.6 three-pointers, while nothing to turn your nose up at, align with what he produced the previous season in Golden State. Looking ahead to the 2022-23 season, Oubre's exact role remains a little clouded, thanks mainly to the uncertainty surrounding Miles Bridges. If Bridges is scratched for the season, Oubre could see his playing nudge 30 minutes per night, assuming he can maintain steady production. As of right now, he is a player to consider taking a flier on late in drafts, given his proven track record and the fact his floor should remain relatively safe.

Charlotte Hornets Depth Chart for 2022-23

Click ahead for a detailed Charlotte Hornets Depth Chart

Charlotte Hornets Predictions for 2022-23

It's a concern that this was one of the healthiest teams in the league in terms of top players, and they still won just 43 games. The (presumed) loss of Miles Bridges can't be understated. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists while providing versatile defense. Gordon Hayward can't be trusted to stay healthy; P.J. Washington is a low-usage player; Kelly Oubre, Cody Martin and Jalen McDaniels are still inconsistent players. LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier is a very good backcourt, but can it carry this team to a winning season?

Record Prediction

34-48
12-seed
Misses playoffs

Bold Call

Mark Williams is the starting center by the end of the season.

NBA Award Contenders

LaMelo Ball, NBA Most Improved Player Odds (+2500, BetMGM)
Mark Williams, NBA Rookie of the Year Odds (+3500)
Kelly Oubre, Sixth Man of the Year Odds (+3500)