Steve Clifford knows the Charlotte Hornets have their work cut out for them on offense.
Last season, his troops finished ninth in points scored per 100 possessions, according to Basketball-Reference, surprising just about everyone. But Clifford isn’t expecting a repeat of that points-piling success, per the Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell:
“We probably don’t have as many points in our lineup,” Clifford said at a media luncheon Tuesday. “We lost a lot of offense, but I think we’ll figure that out. We have potential to be better defensively. We get Mike (Kidd-Gilchrist) back and he’s an elite perimeter defender.
“In studying Roy (Hibbert), it’s just a question of helping him get back to the level he once played at. He’s a basket-protector, but he can also play offense. If he gets anywhere near what he was at Indiana, he gives us a dimension we haven’t had.”
Indeed, the Hornets lost a lot of offensive potential over the offseason. Jeremy Lin signed with the Brooklyn Nets; Courtney Lee joined the New York Knicks; and post-up artist Al Jefferson latched on to the Indiana Pacers.
For the Hornets to match last year’s offensive efficiency, they’ll have to hope Kemba Walker’s career-shooting year holds even without Lin breaking down defenses while he’s off the ball. They’ll also need to bank on Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky replacing a lion’s share of Jefferson’s scoring potential.
That’s a precarious situation to be in, especially with the jump-shot-challenged Michael Kidd-Gilchrist expected to log heavy minutes as he returns from injury. A healthy Nicolas Batum will help preserve some of the Hornets’ offensive upside, but Clifford is right: This team’s identity is once again going to lie with its defense.
