The Hornets Don't Want To Skip Steps. What Does That Mean?
Hornets GM Jeff Peterson has continually expressed patience. What could that look like?
The Charlotte Hornets are in an interesting spot. They are coming off their best season in roughly a decade with a pool of assets that beat almost any other team in the NBA.
Charlotte has two top-20 picks this season, three first-round picks next year, and a dozen plus second-rounders. Traditionally, teams with such riches would be well-positioned to make an “all-in” type of move, one that would reel in a star-caliber player.
We saw it just last offseason when the Orlando Magic traded four first-round picks for Desmond Bane. Then we saw it again at the trade deadline as the Jazz brought in Jaren Jackson for three first-round picks.
The most “ramping up” Charlotte has done in their current build was trading two second-round picks to the Chicago Bulls for Coby White.
That brings us to today: The Hornets have flexibility, a plethora of assets, and a variety of young pieces.
Charlotte GM Jeff Peterson has constantly stressed the importance of not “skipping steps” at basically any chance he gets in front of media.
Even when Kon Knueppel went on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, he specifically used the same terminology.
“What Jeff talks about a lot is he doesn’t want to skip steps…"
I’d venture to say Peterson uses this lingo in his daily vocabulary in the Hornets’ building.
So why are they still this patient when other teams in a similar spot used their assets to gear up and compete?
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