The Official Charlotte Hornets Rebirth - MyLeague

[iAmLeeper]

Hello friends. This will be my first ever video game story, so I hope to create a lot of tension and something I look forward to doing throughout the rest of the season. I have rebuilt plenty of teams before, but I have set myself up a challenge with the Hornets as you will see soon. I am using "Shady Mike's "Real Feel" Slider Set" from the OS forums, so it won't be a normal MyLeague. I am using the rosters set from the trade deadline, but I am starting this story from the start of the 2014-2015 season, so it is set in an alternate reality. Enough Chit-Chat, let's get started.



The Official Charlotte Hornets Rebirth
As Charlotte begin the 2014 season as the Hornets for the first time since 2003, they expect a different era of basketball as the Charlotte Bobcats of 2005-2013. They will face adversity, new beginnings, and player's egos as Charlotte becomes a major powerhouse. Will It be possible, or will they crumble into obscurity as a fringe playoff team for eternity?

Roster for the beginning of 2014-2015:

Starters:
Kemba Walker - Gerald Henderson - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Cody Zeller - Al Jefferson

Bench:
Mo Williams - Lance Stephenson - Bismack Biyombo - Brian Roberts - Marvin Williams

Practice Players:
Noah Vonleh - Jeff Taylor - PJ Hairston - Troy Daniels - Jason Maxiell

Offseason News:

Al Jefferson wants out of Charlotte


In a strange turn of events, it seems as though Jefferson wants out of Charlotte. completely differing from his personality, his agent has released a statement that he told the Charlotte front office he would like a change. Here is the official statement:

"It seems as though my client would like out of the Charlotte atmosphere and hopefully can find a nice change of scenery. He does not blame himself or his teammates for the sudden switch of mind, but he feels that Charlotte is not building for the future and as the centerpiece, he doesn't want to be the center of attention when this team inevitably fails. He will continue to try and help this team but would like to be gone by the trade deadline."

With this happening, the Hornets have said they are exploring options but they believe with 2 years left on his contract they can find a decent haul back. They are not going to go with the first deal they see, but explore as many options as possible. They expect Jefferson to be gone around All-Star break. They said that with Al gone and Kemba strapped for the long haul (4yr/48mil after this season) they feel they should try to recreate this team's identity with Kemba as the leader.

[iAmLeeper]

Charlotte Releases Jeff Taylor; Picks Up Chris Douglas-Roberts

In a sudden deal, it seems as the Hornets have released the 3 year player from Vanderbilt to make room for the Bobcats heart and soul of 2013, CDR. CDR averaged 24 minutes per game last year with Charlotte, and was only picked up after the all-star break.
The cut of Jeff Taylor seemed inevitable, as he has gone through some legal trouble right before the season started. He was accused of assaulting his girlfriend and damaging hotel property just 1 month before the season started.

Brian Roberts, Marvin Williams for Ed Davis, Steve Nash

In what seems like a sudden trade, the Hornets have traded away Brian Roberts and Marvin Williams for Ed Davis and an expiring Nash. They have gotten rid of 2 decent sized contract for an expiring and a decent player on a small scale contract. Davis is expected to move into the starting role eventually while Nash will be a mentor for Kemba and a trade piece. His expiring contract is needed for some teams, and the Hornets hope to get some pieces moving forward.

[iAmLeeper]

Month of November for the Hornets

As December 1st rolls around, it seems as if the breaks have fallen off of the Hornets. They went 9-9 throughout the month, and no one on the team is happy with the situation. Captain Kemba Walker has been quoted as saying, "I don't feel great about the way we've been preforming as a team," and other captain Gerald Henderson has said, "I'm not happy about the way this team has been playing."

Offers for Jefferson have been spread throughout the grapevine. Nerlens Noel, Nikola Vucevic, and DeAndre Jordan are all names that have come out, but the Hornets aren't looking for these kind of deals. They hope to get either a dominant player or a 1st round pick for Jefferson.

Players that are having decent seasons are Al, Kemba, and MKG. Al is averaging 19Pts/8Rebs, Kemba is averaging 13Pts/7Asts, and MKG is averaging 6Pts/7Rebs. The Hornets are currently a half game back from the 8th seed in the east.

The transactions throughout the month of November in the league. Mostly resignings.

[iAmLeeper]

December News

Mo Williams breaks leg, out 6-8 weeks

In a game against the Grizzlies on December 12th, 2014, Mo Williams suffers a broken leg and will have to be treated throughout the rest of year. This comes as a hit to the Hornets, as they traded away their 3rd string PG earlier in the season, Brian Roberts, for a shell of himself, Steve Nash. Nash is now asked if he will be able to take the backup role and give about 15 minutes a game to the Hornets. will his body be able to handle it or is there a trade imminent?

End Of December

In what seemed like a desperation role, Steve Nash has excelled in what has been asked of him. He has averaged about 16 minutes per game, with a 7/4 statline. Kemba, taking over the role as main distributor has also exceeded expectations. On December 19th, he managed to drop 25 points and 12 assists, seemingly winning the game for the Hornets against the 76ers. Since the 19th, Kemba has averaged about 10 assists per game. Al Jefferson has also excelled, enough to place 6th in frontcourt voting in the east. Also, rumors have came out that the Nets have offered the Hornets Brook Lopez and a 2017 first for Al. With only a month until the deadline, the Hornets must decide on a deal before Al leaves this offseason. Also, this recent explosion by Nash has to boost his trade value, which the Hornets are listening to phone calls for anything at this point.

The Hornets have moved to a 16-17 record, good for a three-way tie for 7th in the East.

[iAmLeeper]

January News

Mo Williams cleared for game, Kemba Walker out 1-2 weeks

In what seems like a bad alternate reality, Kemba Walker goes down right as Mo Williams comes back. With Williams not at 100% yet, Steve Nash is asked to take the starting role over and lead the offense for a while.


After what seems like a quiet month, the Hornets record sits 24-23. They are in sole possession of the 8th seed, but the front office feels as if that is not enough. They have stated that other than the core of Kemba, MKG, Zeller, and Henderson, everyone is available. Mo Williams, Steve Nash,Al Jefferson, Ed Davis, and Lance Stephenson are all possible trade chips throughout these last couple weeks and we know that the Hornets are looking for a 1st rounder, so we have to see what happens soon.


With DeAndre Jordan resigning for 3 years, 54 Million, it seems as if the Clippers have him in their future. It seems as if Al will be a trade deadline day deal.

[iAmLeeper]

Trade Deadline News

Hornets turn Al Jefferson, Ed Davis, and Troy Daniels into Valanciunas and Two 1st Round Picks

In what seems like an insane deadline for the Hornets, they make it out of the pack with Valanciunas, Chris Copeland Nets 2015 1st round pick, and Pacers 2015 1st round pick. The players gone are Al Jefferson, Troy Daniels, Ed Davis, and Jason Maxiell, but the return is extraordinarily better than that. The Nets are fighting for that 8th spot with us, and the Pacers have the 5 seed in the east, which means we should have 3 top 20 picks in the upcoming draft. We could package that together for a top 5 pick, if the Hornets want to test a superstar in this draft.

The trade details:

As you can see, the Hornets had some players on the roster but they were instantly traded. Now, the only players on the roster for 15-16 are as follows:

Walker - Stephenson - MKG - Henderson - Valanciunas - Zeller - Vonleh - Hairston

If they want, they have enough cap space to offer the max to someone coming off of the books for another team. These players include Jimmy Butler, Paul Millsap, Kawhi Leonard, and Marc Gasol.

With these trades, the Hornets are expected to continue the same level of play they have been playing at, but team chemistry will be at an all-time low because of the players they lost.

February News

At the end of February, the Hornets are 28-28, good enough for the 8th seed in the east, 2 games ahead of the Nets. The Bulls, Cavs, Heat, and Raptors all sit at the top of the conference with less than 20 losses. Since trading Al Jefferson, the Hornets have gone 3-1. Is this the change that was needed?

[iAmLeeper]

March News

Valanciunas: The Hornets Savior?

By the end of March, it seems as if the Playoffs are all but set in stone for the Eastern Conference. The Hornets are sitting comfortably in the 8th seed, 3.5 games ahead of the struggling Nets. The Hornets record sits at 38-35, going 13-8 since trading Al Jefferson for Jonas Valanciunas. The Pacers have dropped to the 7th seed, and the Hornets have locked up 3 top 20 picks in the upcoming draft. The only question now is to trade them for a better pick, or draft a couple rookies and try to develop them?

[iAmLeeper]

End of season news

Stephen Curry Wins MVP, Jabari Parker wins ROY

In what seems impossible, Steph Curry has beaten out LeBron James, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and plenty of amazing players to win the MVP in the 2014-2015 season. Steph averaged 26 PPG with 10 APG and 7 RPG. he shot 49% from the field, 44% from 3, and 91% from the foul line. Congrats, Curry!

Hornets Make Playoffs, Play Bulls 1st Round

At the end of the season, it seems as if the Hornets are playing the 1st seed Bulls. After a 60-22 season, it seems impossible, but we are hoping to win at least 1 game, our first as the new Charlotte franchise. Kemba Walker ended the season on 15.5 PPG, 7 APG, and 5 RPG. Valanciunas had 13PPG and 9 RPG, and Lance ended with 12/5/5. Not a bad season.

Season Awards:

Stephen Curry MVP

Jabari Parker ROY

Reggie Jackson 6MOY

Anthony Davis DPOY

Klay Thompson MIP

Tom Thibodeau COY


All-NBA 1st Team
Steph Curry
James Harden
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
Al Horford

2nd Team
Kyrie Irving
Chris Paul
Anthony Davis
Paul George
DeMarcus Cousins

3rd Team
John Wall
Isaiah Thomas
Blake Griffin
Gordon Hayward
Andre Drummond

Defensive 1st Team
Tony Allen
Eric Bledsoe
Anthony Davis
Paul George
DeAndre Jordan

2nd Team
Jimmy Butler
John Wall
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
Andrew Bogut

Rookie 1st Team
Jabari Parker
Andrew Wiggins
Elfrid Payton
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle

2nd Team
Dante Exum
Marcus Smart
Nikola Mirotic
Jordan Clarkson
Nerlens Noel

[iAmLeeper]

Hornets Steal Game 3 and 4 from Bulls, not enough as Bulls win in 6

After what seemed like it was going to be a great series, Bulls took both games 5 and 6 from the Hornets and advance to the eastern conference semi-finals after a great season from both teams. The Charlotte Hornets have been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, and begin focus on the offseason.

The Playoffs ended as the Thunder defeated the Bulls 4-2. Russell Westbrook Won MVP, averaging 17/7.5/7.5.

Offseason News

Steve Nash Retires from NBA, becomes Charlotte Hornets Assistant Coach

Steve Nash has retired from the Hornets and from the NBA at age 41 after 19 years. Other retirees include Andre Miller, Ray Allen, Caron Butler, and Chris Anderson. Steve Nash and Ray Allen both make the Hall of Fame for 2015. Steve Nash was quick to accept the assistant coaching job for the Charlotte Hornets, adding to the legendary staff of Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Mark Price. The Hornets also extend Steve Clifford 2 years.

In a change of events, the Hornets have decided to keep all three picks and not trade away any of them. Gerald Henderson accepts his player option, and we offer Bismack Biyombo the extending offer. This gives us a total of 9 players, with the oldest only being 27 years old.

Hornets Draft 3 Project Players

During the draft, the Hornets pick up 3 project players - Louis Sutton, Gerald Meredith, & Alton Randolph. None sduring free agency, the Hornets picked up 6MOY Reggie Jackson and Bismack Biyombo picked up the extended option. With two roster spots still open, the Hornets decided to pick up John Lucas III and Lou Amundson for the vet min to fill out the roster.


The lineup for the Hornets after the 2015 offseason goes as is:

Kemba Walker - Reggie Jackson - John Lucas
Lance Stephenson - Gerald Henderson - Louis Sutton
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - PJ Hairston - Gerald Meredith
Noah Vonleh - Cody Zeller - Lou Amundson
Jonas Valanciunas - Bismack Biyombo - Alton Randolph

[Martti.]

I'm really liking this so far!

Solid first year and picking up Jonas should help in the long run, Reggie Jackson should be a nice addition as well. Hopefully you can achieve more in year #2., though stealing two games from the #1 seed is solid as well

[IRoCats]

how did you make steve nash your assistant coach?

[Kevin]

When certain players retire from the NBA, they become available in the Ass. Coach/ Head Coaching spot