Old North Banter
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Five takeaways from the Hornets’ California road trip

By Luke Tucker

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Cody Zeller #40, Malik Monk #1 and PJ Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets defend against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Staples Center on October 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Cody Zeller #40, Malik Monk #1 and PJ Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets defend against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Staples Center on October 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Charlotte is a better team than they’ve been given credit for

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 23: PJ Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after a basket against the Chicago Bulls during their game at Spectrum Center on October 23, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 23: PJ Washington #25 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after a basket against the Chicago Bulls during their game at Spectrum Center on October 23, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Entering this season, expectations for the Hornets were incredibly low. Many thought this team would be the worst in the association. On paper, it would have been hard to disagree. Kemba Walker had single-handedly carried the Hornets for nearly the entirety of his career in Charlotte. When he left for the Celtics, most experts viewed the 2019-2020 season as the beginning of a lengthy rebuild for the Hornets.

The emergence of some of the young players has certainly been a key reason for Charlotte’s early success, however, it may be that they simply aren’t that much worse than they were with Walker. Aside from the loss of Walker and Jeremy Lamb, the roster has remained relatively the same compared to last season. Washington and Graham have added a fun dynamic to the team, while the much-improved three-point shooting has helped the team win games. It’s unlikely the Hornets will compete for anything major in the next couple of years, but they’re not nearly as bad as what people thought they would be.

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