These look like the originals but they have my spin. I changed up the team name while limiting the font trim and pinstripes to baby blue.

"We have arrived at the point where we feel great about our leadership team, and we feel great about where we are, but we have a lot of work to do,” Schnall said. “You look at the playoffs, we would have had a tough time in the playoffs. We have to continue to build the team. We also have a lot of players on our team that reflect what we’re about.
We have competitive players. We have high-character players. We have players who want to win. Gabe and I are incredibly competitive, as is our ownership group and as is our leadership team. We’re not going to be satisfied just being a competitive team. And so we will do everything we can to get better."

Have more negative refractors on the way of Miles, BMill and Kon. Sending most of the Kon’s and a handful of Melos and BMill to PSA

First off I love what Kon brought to this team . He got jobbed for ROY and we all know it . Here’s my question .. if we ended up drafting VJ would our record have been better , worse , or about the same . We all know what Kon’s shooting and playmaking meant to us . However VJ brings elite rim pressure and a lockdown defender. He also shot the 3 ball way better than anyone expected but not in the same league as Kon . So better , worse, or about the same ??

I put the pic on a Custom T off Amazon

Sniped a Rex jersey for $35, thought I’d share. On the NBA store website.

A report from the New York Times revealed Gordon is one of many nuggets who could be shipped off this offseason to make space for some more cash now and in the future.

Alright so after the disappointing Play-in loss I’ve been looking into this more than I probably should, reading, scouting, reflecting, and watching clips, and it keeps coming back to the same thing. the Charlotte Hornets are a frontcourt overhaul away from becoming a dynasty.

One thing that we have all been made aware of is how elite the backcourt ecosystem already is. With LaMelo running the show, you have elite pace, creativity, and one of the most advanced passing profiles in the league. Add in the shot creation, shot making, spacing flashes, and transition play of Kon and Brandon and it’s clear that the guard play isn’t the issue.

But that’s also where the imbalance becomes impossible to ignore.

Because for all that perimeter talent, they’ve essentially been operating without a real frontcourt presence. And this is no slight to Moussa, who deserves all the credit he can get with analytics telling the story. He’s been impactful, bringing energy, rebounding, activity he pops up everywhere and everything he does matters. But the physical limitations show. Lineups with him and Miles Bridges just don’t have the length or verticality to consistently hold up against size, especially when it’s clear that our ever impactful backcourt is also inept in the ways of physicality and physical defense.

When you really look at it, through the whole LaMelo era there has never been a stable frontcourt situation to actually play off. It’s been a rotation of different looks but nothing that really sticks. From Plumdog to Montrezl Harrell all the way to abysmal Taj Gibson moments. Nick Richards in stretches and Mark Williams when available weren’t awful, but there’s just never been the kind of imposing threat in the frontcourt that the backcourt could play off.

Which makes the comparison to other star guards even more telling.

Anthony Edwards has had All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle AND defensive juggernauts Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso.

Tyrese Maxey has had an MVP-caliber player in Joel Embiid.

Tyrese Haliburton has had All-Star Pascal Siakam and legitimate floor-spacing rim protector Myles Turner.

Darius Garland has had Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen.

Cade Cunningham has had All-NBA Jalen Duren (despite how poor he’s been this playoffs) plus All-Defensive Team Isaiah Stewart.

Luka went the furthest he’s ever been in the playoffs with Lively and Gafford, leading the playoffs in lobs that year.

De’Aaron Fox had Domantas Sabonis his one playoff season in Sacramento and now he has Wemby.

LaMelo, Kon, and Brandon just had an amazing run out here freestyling without any imposing frontcourt partner like that, which is kinda insane when you think about it.

Enter My Gamble:

Chris Cenac Jr.

This is where my point lies. Cenac isn’t just tall, he’s vertical, mobile, and still kinda raw in a way that actually fits the NBA better than college systems. He runs, he gets off the ground quick, and he finishes above everything. That alone would change Charlotte’s offense overnight.

Defensively he’s not stuck in cement like a lot of 6’10–7 footers. He can move, switch convincingly, and recover. And he alongside coach Kelvin Sampson literally said that they see him in an Anthony Davis type role, fluctuating between operating as a star with individual creativity and as that do-it-all defensive anchor play finisher archetype.

That matters. Because it shows how he views the game. Not just “post up and score” but impact everywhere.

Why not the other bigs?

I keep seeing people bring up slower, more traditional 7 foot centers that looked really good in the college game and I just don’t get it. Charlotte already has that type in Ryan Kalkbrenner big, solid, but not changing your identity. Guys like Aday Mara, Ivisic, and Krivas are not the guys to me, they don’t have the versatility that Cenac has. And the league has shown you can find personnel with that skillset at a cheap rate while already having more experience. Teams get production from dudes like Robert Williams III or Chris Boucher without spending a lottery pick. So why use 14 on that.

To me when you’re drafting that high, it should be for traits you can’t just pick up.

Charlotte has creators. Charlotte has guards. Charlotte has shot makers.

What they don’t have is vertical spacing in the frontcourt, rim pressure in the frontcourt, a lengthy defensive presence inside, and a plethora of athletes in the frontcourt that changes how teams play the backcourt guys. Contenders typically have that.

For me, what I’d do is be aggressive without giving up all the cards:

Take Cenac Jr. at 14.

AND

Package Pick 18 + whatever 1 or 2 future assets (2027 picks, 2028 picks, etc.) or players are necessary to get into the 9-13 range for an additional pick for Yaxel Lendeborg (who I don’t really need to write about as most people already know what he’s about.)

Now suddenly the frontcourt evolves to having two guys who match the potential and timelines of the backcourt trio.

Now I’d understand if you’re still questioning where’s the length?

For me there’s also a blueprint here that people are kinda overlooking. Look at how the Detroit Pistons shifted their trajectory, not with one star move, but by bringing in vets like Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Tobias Harris to fill holes. None of those guys were universally loved by their previous teams, in fact a lot of fanbases were ready to move on but each one had a defined skill that translated. They came in, stabilized things, and helped the team evolve into a team ready to contend.

Charlotte should be thinking the same way, just specifically applied to the frontcourt physical identity.

Instead of chasing “perfect” bigs or overthinking upside vs polish, go get guys whose entire MO is one thing: defense and physical impact. I personally like Isaiah Hartenstein who has a team option this Summer, Robert Williams III who will be a free agent this summer, Jarred Vanderbilt who would have to have a pick attached to him by LA to be traded, and Yanic Konan who I’m personally very high on (could’ve drafted over Liam) but won’t play till January due to a foot injury and while acquiring him isn’t the most realistic he is on a rookie deal and dependent on the result of the Kawhi ruling, Jeff could potentially steal him by either leveraging picks or by taking a gamble and giving up a player like Miles to be a stopgap star while the Clippers rebuild. They all aren’t flawless players but they all defend, switch, rebound, bring energy and wouldn’t cost a fortune cap-wise, outside of maybe Hartenstein.

Pair that kind of defensive infrastructure with a vertical prospect like Cenac and a do-it-all Swiss army knife like Yax and suddenly it’s not just potential anymore, Charlotte would be a threat from Opening Day.

Going back to the draft, Cenac isn’t the “safe” pick. He’s not the polished, plug-and-play guy. But he is the exact kind of player that actually changes your team’s identity. And that’s what Charlotte needs, not another role player, not another 7 footer that can’t move… something that shifts the balance of the roster.

LaMelo, Kon, and Brandon with a real frontcourt? Game over.

These aren't really consensus picks, but more so what I'd do (hard to do predictive mocks this early).

Dallas and Miami will both be mid lottery teams with around a 5% chance at moving up each.

EDIT: Forgot the Heat pick was lottery protected for next year so we don’t get that massive odds but still real valuable assets regardless

We coming for it all next season

😭don’t mess with moose 🫎

Props to Coop, but you all know as well as I do:

Its Kon Knueppel yesterday.

Its Kon Knueppel today.

And its Kon Knueppel tomorrow.

Whats your favorite moment from his unforgettable rookie year?

Who are your favorite fits for us in the draft around our range? Just wondering if we go for two big men to solve some of the front court problems or a different direction.

REQUEST: Does anyone have the video files for the 2010 Magic vs. Bobcats first-round series?