Roundtable: Who Will Be the Hornets' Biggest Surprise?

The Charlotte Hornets should be a much improved team in 2023-24 after a tumultuous season a year ago as the team was decimated with injuries. 

In this week's All Hornets roundtable, our staff predicts who will be the Hornets' biggest surprise.

Israel Omondi: Gordon Hayward

Unfortunately, Gordon Hayward’s Hornets tenure has been loaded with injuries and he didn’t have the impact Hornets fans may have been hoping for when Charlotte gave him that $120M contract back in 2020. But with low expectations, I expect him to have a substantial impact on Charlotte’s success this season and surprise Hornets fans. Charlotte has a plethora of wings and forwards this year with Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, Brandon Miller, and JT Thor which will reduce the load on Gordon Hayward. I see him having a healthy year and being a calming presence on the floor with his pace, midrange shooting, and playmaking ability. I expect him to have a huge impact on Brandon Miller’s development this year and maybe even transition to the bench and be a stabilizing force that can light up bench units.

James Plowright: Frank Ntilikina 

If Michael Carter-Williams and Dennis Smith Jr emerged in Steve Clifford teams as valuable players, then why can't Frank Ntilikina emerge in that same vein? Clifford has already gone on the record naming Ntilikina an "elite" defender, a skillset this roster lacks. With the question marks around Cody Martin's long-term health and James Bouknight's knee, Ntilikina has the chance to take advantage of some early minutes. With the continued absence of an obvious back-up point guard, Ntilikina could also receive the opportunity, having come into the league in New York as a primary guard before moving to an off-ball role next to Luka Doncic in Dallas.

Atticus Ferguson: JT Thor

He’s put on significant muscle over the offseason and his shooting mechanics have always been very natural and smooth, especially for someone of his size. Cliff has always raved about him, which leads me to believe he’ll find ways to make sure JT gets minutes. When Miles was discussing the differences in the team from when he last played to now, he went out of his way to mention that Thor had gotten “way better.” Speaking of Miles, his 10-game suspension should allow for JT to get minutes early in the season and prove that he’s somebody that you can’t afford to have wasting away on the bench. Out of all of the 2nd round gems Charlotte has found, I think Thor will be the most highly regarded when it’s all said and done.

Desmond Johnson: Mark Williams

I think Williams has a chance to establish himself as a top five center in the Eastern Conference which would be huge for the Hornets in general. There aren't a lot of traditional back to the basket type centers in the league and Williams can live off mismatches in the paint. Also, his interior defense allows our wing players to play more aggressively guarding the perimeter.

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