The Charlotte Hornets' worst outcome has been revealed.
The Charlotte Hornets have been the biggest surprise in basketball this season, as they have established themselves as a serious playoff contender in spite of having won just 19 games the year prior.
Since falling to 16-28 back on Jan. 21, the Hornets have gone 22-6 and have been blowing the doors off of their opponents. In fact, the own the largest margin of victory in wins in NBA history.
Wild, right?
The problem is that because Charlotte got off to such a slow start, it is currently just the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. That means the Hornets would get a play-in game, but they aren't actually currently in the main playoff field.
On that note, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz has revealed that missing the postseason is Charlotte's "biggest fear" the rest of the way.
"Still, there's a real chance that Charlotte misses the playoffs for the 10th straight year, something that would be devastating considering just how well the Hornets have played over the last few months," Swartz wrote.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.Charlotte has a rough schedule over its final 10 games, too, featuring a pair of matchups with both the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics plus a game against the Detroit Pistons to end the season.
Eight of the Hornets' final 10 opponents have winning records, so if Charles Lee's club is going to make the playoffs, it is really going to have to knuckle down.
"Currently at No. 9 overall in the standings, the Hornets will need to get to No. 6 to guarantee a playoff spot," Swartz added. "One or two bad games in the play-in tournament will mean another early exit and a summer of wondering what could have been."
My take? I don't think missing the playoffs would be as "devastating" for Charlotte as Swartz indicates. No one expected the Hornets to contend this season anyway, so anything extra here is gravy.
Charlotte is still probably a year or two away from genuinely pushing for a championship, so this season should just be viewed as a springboard into the future for the squad.
What's most important is how the Hornets handle the upcoming offseason, where they can continue adding talent to their incredibly impressive young nucleus.
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