Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Hornets 2019-20 season preview and predictions

Detroit Pistons Blake Griffin dunks. (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Detroit Pistons Blake Griffin dunks. (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets Marvin Williams. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Charlotte’s Offseason from Hell

Charlotte’s offseason can be described in one word: disaster. They went into the summer hoping to re-sign their star and All-Time franchise scoring leader in Kemba Walker but were unable to retain him even though they could offer more money and years than the four-year max contract he signed with Boston. There is every indication that Walker left a significant amount of money on the table just to get out of Charlotte.

Early rumors were that Charlotte would lose Walker for nothing, but they were able to orchestrate a sign-and-trade for Terry Rozier and a 2020 second rounder. Seeing that the, frankly, overrated Rozier then signed a three-year, $58 million deal, most Charlotte fans probably wish they had just let Walker go for nothing and started tankathon 2020.

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The terrible trio of Bismack Biyombo, Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all decided to exercise their player options (shocking) and they were unable to find a sucker, er, um, taker for Nicolas Batum’s contract, which is recognized as one of the worst in the NBA.

Free agents Jeremy Lamb and Frank Kaminsky fled like rats off a sinking ship and the fact that Charlotte was upset about this shows just how dire their situation is. Hornets fans must be wondering if GM Mitch Kupchak is trying to do to them what he did to the Lakers.

Charlotte may be the least-enviable team in the NBA, as they have no stars, no cap space and a roster full of overpaid role players with no immediate path to success in sight. They did add Kentucky’s P.J. Washington in the draft, but most see him as a solid, not spectacular player and hardly one that is going to save the franchise. Casual fans couldn’t name two current Hornets now that Kemba is gone. Their roster is a wasteland that actually makes me feel good about Detroit’s situation.