What the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors are currently enjoying is what the Charlotte Hornets SHOULD be enjoying. In 2014, the then-Bobcats really turned a corner, with Al Jefferson coming to the team. It was huge, as Kemba Walker also had a breakout year.
The offseason saw the Hornets rebrand and a huge comeback victory over the Bucks. From there, it went to complete crap, as the Hornets blew an easily winnable season. In 2016, they rebounded, going 48-34, and nearly gaining the third seed.
Kemba Walker, since then, has only gotten better, but the Hornets have not managed to close out games, leading to three straight playoff near-misses. By now, the Hornets should have won at least one playoff series, and now Kemba Walker’s contract is up. For his efforts, he won All-NBA Third Team, which is controversial.
One, this makes Kemba Walker eligible for the $221 million supermax, which fans say Michael Jordan will not be willing to pay for. Even if he did, it would deplete the Hornets’ cap space, making them locked in to a contract-heavy, but sorry, team. Outside of that, Bradley Beal and Klay Thompson were snubbed for the All-NBA, leading to Kemba being the focal point of Twitter.
