Lob City 2.0? What to expect from the Charlotte Hornets roster in the 2021-22 NBA season

Athletically gifted and offensively awe-inspiring, the Charlotte Hornets look to be a fearsome prospect in the 2021-22 NBA season. Offense: it all begins with the offense for this Hornets team, who have little in the way of defensive upside.

Head coach James Borrego has done a tremendous job developing the Hornets' talented young roster in recent seasons. However, the defensive features of both the individuals and collective of the roster project to be of the Swiss cheese variety.

But on offense, oh, that's a different story. Adding rookie James Bouknight to the backcourt rotation has provided LaMelo Ball with another scoring assassin to feed and thrive off. The youthful legs of the Charlotte Hornets' core rotation will ensure the team attacks at pace and look to initiate early offensive schemes wherever possible.

Look for drag and stagger screen sets in transition or a multitude of plays out of Borrego's pistol and delay series playbooks. The creation on the perimeter is going to have fans of high-octane offense salivating.

Charlotte Hornets | Delay 45 pic.twitter.com/T1gap8g8sZ

— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) October 23, 2020

More importantly, there's going to be plenty of space for the likes of Vernan Carey Jr. and Mason Plumlee to pressure the rim on cuts or rolls to the hoop - especially from the wings (known as a 45 cut).

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets ranked 20th in the league for pace despite having the likes of Ball and Terry Rozier within the ranks. Their offense relied upon set plays and secondary or tertiary scoring opportunities. However, with the additions of Bouknight, Kelly Oubre Jr. and JT Thor, the team will likely want to increase their pace.

Offense wins games, and defense wins championships is an old sport saying, and while still true today, it is often overvalued. If the Charlotte Hornets can have a league-average defense while upping their pace and converting threes at an above-average rate, there's no reason they can't become one of the East's dark horses.

What will the Charlotte Hornets' offense look like this upcoming season?

Unlike the LA Clippers of old, the Charlotte Hornets do not possess an athletic big in the mold of DeAndre Jordan, but this doesn't mean the birth of a new "lob city" isn't on the cards. Rather, the Hornets will be relying on their wings to operate as play finishers on lead passes from the likes of Ball and Rozier.

By adding Oubre Jr. to the rotation, the Charlotte Hornets have doubled down on their multi-faceted offensive execution by adding another veteran wing scorer alongside Gordon Hayward. For a team that finished 22nd in points per 100 possessions last season, the Hornets certainly needed to find consistency in their play finishing and will be hoping Bouknight and Oubre Jr. can provide that.

James Bouknight in action for the Hornets during the 2021 NBA Summer League

Developing a young team full of raw talent will always be frustrating; some nights, guys will be scorching hot, and others won't even hit the ocean. Borrego will know this, and he wants to lighten the load on his young weapons in this off-season show, especially now that he knows he's with the team for the long term.

The Charlotte Hornets and coach James Borrego are finalizing a multi-year contract extension, sources tell ESPN. Borrego has overseen significant development of a young roster and reached 2021 Play-In despite several major injuries. Borrego had one year left on deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 7, 2021

Take LaMelo Ball for example. Ball, for all his offensive gifts, only had a 51.1% effective field goal percentage and was average from all three scoring levels. Why might you ask? Because his usage rate was 27.8 - which is through the roof for a rookie.

The Charlotte Hornets will likely continue to split playmaking duties between their guards and Hayward in the coming season. Still, they will look to utilize the raw athleticism within their ranks. The team lacks a true rim runner, which will negate their ability to protect the rim at a high clip, but it allows a modernized scheme to be implemented.

Here's a look at the Charlotte Hornets' depth chart:

Guards:	LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, Ish Smith, Scottie Lewis, D.J. Carton
Wings:	Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington, Cody Martin, Wes Iwundu, Jalen McDaniels, JT Thor
Bigs:	Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards, Kai Jones, Vernon Carey Jr.

The Charlotte Hornets' projected playstyle is closer to a young Golden State Warriors than a Lob City Clippers, and there's nothing wrong with that. The only difference is that the Warriors developed Klay Thompson and Draymond Green into elite-level defenders. Right now, the Hornets don't have anyone who projects to undertake that role.

Perhaps internal development will see the team become a sturdy defensive unit. Perhaps the Charlotte Hornets rely on their speed, skill, and talent to run an offense among the fastest in the league.

The only thing for certain at this point is that the Hornets are an offensive weapon waiting to be unleashed. Sure, they're going to have their cold spells, and inconsistency will riddle them throughout the year. But if Borrego can blend his rotations with just the right mix of experience and youthful talent, the Charlotte Hornets could be gatecrashing the top seven in the Eastern Conference next season.

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