It’s one game into the second half of the Charlotte Hornets’ season. They are 17-25, about five games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Their coach is back from medical leave, and the only remaining player significantly injured -- center Cody Zeller (knee surgery) -- could be back in two to three weeks.
Can this season be saved? Should it be saved?
Steve Clifford, who coached a practice Tuesday for the first time since early December, believes his team is still in playoff contention if the group progresses in consistency. Clifford believes the fan base overreacts to individual wins or losses in the context of an 82-game season.