Why Caitlin Clark and Bronny James Could Save the Charlotte Hornets

Since its creation, the Charlotte Hornets franchise can be summed up in a few words:

• Boring

• Disappointing

• Terrible

Over the years, the Hornets have been able to land some studs like LaMelo Ball, Kemba Walker, and a few others. Outside of that, it has been a culmination of coaching disasters, complete mismanagement, and losing seasons. Fans have clearly started to pick up on this, as for the 2023-2024 season, no team in the NBA has a worse average attendance to games than the Hornets (16,286 people per game- ESPN). So how do you shake this image?

Mandatory Credit - Kirby Lee, Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The answer is unorthodox, but the more you dive into it, the more it becomes plausible. On the court, the Hornets need three primary things:

1. Three-point shooting

2. Defense

3. Scoring from the Bench

With the Hornets first round pick, selecting Bronny will give them prominent defense and three point shooting. Though he has not shown too much at USC yet, it is clear that he has excellent potential to be a solid two-way guard in the league. In his senior year of high school, the perimeter guard averaged 14 points, and 1.8 steals. What this also means, is that LeBron James will likely end up signing with Charlotte to play with his son. Now they get size, athleticism, three-point shooting, defensive versatility, playmaking outside of LaMelo, and truly have a chance at getting some wins.

With their second round pick, it is time to boost fan attendance even more, by going and getting Caitlin Clark. Clark is averaging 31-7-8, on 40% 3pt shooting in NCAA Women's Basketball. These numbers in college are unfathomable from an offensive standpoint. Even if NBA defense caused dribbling/ bringing the ball up to be a major issue for her, there is nothing stopping her from working around picks and being a catch and shoot player. If Klay Thompson can run around with 11 dribbles in a game, her quick release and elite shot making ability should allow her to play in a similar role with less volume.

From a defensive standpoint, there are countless people who will say she is too small, or not strong enough to defend big NBA players. So why do we not say that about Ish Smith? Why are there countless bench players with the exact same issue who are not doubted in the same way? There are players around the league who are complete defensive liabilities, requiring constant help and switching. Half of these players also contribute nearly nothing on offense, so why should Caitlin Clark be doubted when she is clearly prolific at putting the ball in the hoop? The modern NBA defense is not about 1-on-1 lockdown anymore. What we see more and more, is guards/ wings playing high up to defend threes. When the offense choses to drive past this coverage, the defense funnels them into the 7-foot Center waiting in the paint. Clark would likely be a very poor defender, but assuming this is the defensive system she plays in, it could work.

Bronny and Clark would almost definitely come off of the bench, but that is exactly what the Hornets need. With depth, young excitement, and the greatest player of all time (LeBron James) being added to this current Hornets team, the sky is the limit.

Picture this lineup.

LaMelo Ball, Caitlin Clark, Bronny James, LeBron James, Mark Williams.

This is must-see basketball, and it is the Hornets only true path to revitalizing the franchise. The games would shatter viewership records, and maybe even result in a playoff run.

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/attendance