For the Charlotte Hornets, it’s the beginning of a new era and a chance for this young team to take the next step and become a potential playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson aren’t ready to set any expectations for year one, but internally they probably have a win total they’d like to reach.

What do Hornets fans expect from this year’s team in terms of number of wins? That was this week’s “Charlotte Hornets On SI” fan poll on X. Below are the results.

20 or fewer wins – 16.7%

21-30 wins – 22.7%

31-40 wins – 42.4%

41-50 wins – 18.2%

The Hornets won 21 games a year ago, so assuming everyone stays healthy, 20 or fewer wins is probably out of the question. On the other hand, even if everything goes in Charlotte’s favor, 41-50 wins just doesn’t seem realistic. I don’t see 21-30 either, so I’m on the side of the fans on this one.

The schedule isn’t as loose as it will be in 2023/24 to begin with, and for a team that has to adapt to a new personnel and style of play, it could very easily fall behind in the standings. This is the most talented team the Hornets have had in quite some time, but it’s a question of health and how long it will take for their young stars to grow into league-level players.

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