Big Al's less big, thanks to a summertime commitment to saying, "Not today, Satan Popeye's." A transformed roster looks better-equipped for the spread-the-floor-and-bomb-away style that's worked for so many recent contenders. The vibe seemed different. Still, Stephenson was the face of the flameout, and owner Michael Jordan and general manager Rich Cho decided it was time for a new look, so he's gone. Lance wasn't the only one who couldn't shoot in fact, with apologies to little-used reserves Troy Daniels and Jannero Pargo, nobody could. Jefferson never got back to 100 percent following his postseason plantar fascia strain. Marvin Williams couldn't replace Josh McRoberts' shooting and playmaking.
Defensive linchpin Kidd-Gilchrist missed 25 games with various injuries, and the team fell off a cliff without him.
Stephenson wasn't the only reason Charlotte struggled. The Hornets scuffled to a 33-49 finish, lowlighted by Stephenson turning in perhaps the worst long-distance shooting season in NBA history. A pelvic injury sent Stephenson to the injured list even after he got well, Clifford just couldn't find a Lance lineup that worked. The Hornets played much better when Stephenson sat, prompting Clifford to bench him for entire fourth quarters more than once. He shot just 38.6 percent from the field and 15.1 percent from 3-point land through his first 25 games, and the dearth of other shooters collapsed the court, making it harder for him to find creases in the pick-and-roll and barrel his way to the basket. They rolled the dice on Lance Stephenson, giving him a three-year contract and hoping his all-around talents would propel Charlotte to contention for a top-four seed. They needed another pick-and-roll playmaker alongside point guard Kemba Walker another tough, physical athlete alongside Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Gerald Henderson some spice, some unpredictability, some fire. They had one of the league's stingiest defenses and one of its most moribund offenses, and they needed another weapon. Coming off a surprising return to the postseason sparked by the low-post brilliance of Al Jefferson and a defensive overhaul helmed by first-year head coach Steve Clifford, the Charlotte Hornets entered the summer of 2014 aiming to make a splash.
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