(All stats and records through Jan. 15; for report cards for all 30 teams click here.)
Offense: 105.4, 14th Overall
Defense: 104.4, 9th Overall
W-L | Pct. | GB
20-20 | .500 | 9.5
Div.: 6-1
Conf.: 13-14
Home: 12-7
Road: 8-13
FRONTCOURT: C
Cody Zeller has matured physically and finally looks the part of a starting center. Marvin Williams is consistent and a steadying force. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still a defensive stopper and an offensive work in progress.
BACKCOURT: B+
Kemba Walker is having another All-Star caliber season and should be rewarded with a spot on the Eastern Conference roster next month in New Orleans. Nic Batum has been solid, when healthy, but not necessarily the type of star who cashed in during free agency last summer.
DEFENSE: B
Steve Clifford’s hallmark has always been on the defensive side of the ball and this team is no different. They have an elite individual defender in Kidd-Gilchrist and a defensive framework that allows Clifford to get the best out of his entire group.
BENCH: C
This is a much different group than what the Hornets went to battle with last season, especially since they don’t have a game changer like Jeremy Lin proved to be. But they have a second group of Marco Belinelli, Frank Kaminsky, Jeremy Lamb, Ramon Sessions, Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert that is as versatile as they are effective.
COACHING: C
Clifford has proved himself to be one of the better program builders in the league. He’s consistently gotten production out of his roster, whatever the pieces. He’ll need a little more time to get this group up to the speed Hornets fans have grown accustomed to recently.
OVERALL GRADE: C+
The Hornets didn’t make the sort of offseason moves to push themselves into that next level in the Eastern Conference. They took care of their own — namely Batum and Williams — rather than chasing big fish in the free agent market. Losing ideal fits like Courtney Lee and Jeremy Lin, not to mention an anchor like Al Jefferson, was perhaps a more significant change to this team’s DNA than anyone realized.
But they still have the heart and soul of the team and the franchise in Walker, one of the league’s most underrated players. He’s a star at the most crucial position and a clutch performer when the Hornets need it most. He needs a healthy Batum by his side if the Hornets are going to make noise in the second half of the season.
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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