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Charlotte Hornets · Finishing with an overall record of 27-55, the Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season — however, more promising times lie ahead. That’s largely because of LaMelo Ball, Charlotte’s rising star at point guard, who averaged career-highs of 23.3 points and 8.4 assists per contest but was limited to 36 games due to injury. When Ball was healthy the prior season the Hornets won 43 games and made it to the play-in tournament. Ball, a 2022 All-Star, signed a five-year contract extension after the season to stay in Charlotte for the long haul. Veterans Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. each averaged better than 20 points per game — career-highs for both — and forward P.J. Washington had the best season of his four-year career, averaging better than 17 points in the season’s second half. Mark Williams, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2022, posted a double-double in his first career start on February 10 and logged a career-best 18-point, 20-rebound effort two weeks later. Williams averaged 11.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game after the All-Star break. · State of Mint