The Hornets were a legitimately good team before bad luck snowballed into a lost season. They scored more than they gave up, which typically is enough for a winning record. They had a top-10 defense for most of the season before it fell out from under them late. By most accounts, the 2016-17 edition of the Charlotte Hornets performed well below their expectations.

So why did Charlotte finish last season 36-46? Two factors turned the Hornets into one of 2016-17's biggest disappointments: They lost a ridiculous amount of close games, and Cody Zeller couldn't stay on the floor.

Anything can happen in a close game, and teams typically win a handful of them on luck alone. Yet the Hornets managed to go 0-9 in games decided by three points of fewer last season. It's safe to assume that they'll win a few more close contests this season.

Finding luck on the health side would help, too. The Hornets don't have a deep bench, and that sunk them last season. Zeller, whose unimpressive statistics bely his value, missed 20 games last season. When Zeller was on the floor, Charlotte had a net rating of 5.5, but when he sat on the bench that fell to a minus-3.6. The bench couldn't make up for his absence, and it was particularly ugly when he was out: Charlotte was 33-29 when Zeller played but 3-17 when he didn't.

'Dwightmare' coming?

Maybe that's why they traded for Dwight Howard — perhaps the riskiest move of the summer. Howard is still an incredible defensive stopper, but that's only when he's happy and playing well. He gives the Hornets rim protection that they've always lacked, and he reduces the demand on Zeller. However, Howard comes with risk. 

Seemingly every team Howard has left was thankful he was gone.  Atlanta players reportedly cheered when Howard was traded. He's the type of personality who can blow up a team from the inside and sink a season. The Hornets have dealt with big personalities before, such as their disastrous season with Lance Stephenson. A "Dwightmare" scenario could be catastrophic for a team looking to bounce back. 

At the same time, this is a place that Howard can't afford to fail in. Steve Clifford coached him with the Magic and Lakers as an assistant. Charlotte runs a 3-point heavy offense that is incredibly similar to what Howard had in Orlando. If he doesn't succeed with Clifford and Charlotte, then where else can he succeed? He has to understand that.

Backcourt game

The preseason got off to a bad start with Nicolas Batum's elbow injury expected to sideline the starting shooting guard for at least eight weeks. He's been the secondary creator on the Hornets since arriving and even looked like an All-Star his first season with the team. The 28-year-old took a step back last season, but Charlotte still heavily relies on him in their offense. 

With Batum sitting out, there's going to be a heavier load on All-Star point guard Kemba Walker in the early going. Walker took yet another step forward last season. Weaknesses that plagued him early in his career, such as shooting and finishing at the rim, suddenly have become strengths. In Batum's first season, Walker had his best moments only when he shared the floor with him. Last season, he broke out and learned how to be impactful without that secondary creator next to him. 

When Walker was on the floor, Charlotte scored 109 points per 100 possessions, but that dropped to 100.7 points when he was on the bench. He averaged 23.2 points and 5.5 assists per game and pushed his shooting numbers up to career highs of 44.4 percent from the field and 39.9 percent on 3-pointers last season. They were better defensively with him on the floor, and he was third in the NBA in charges taken. His emergence as a scorer and one of the smartest defenders in the NBA has been absolutely invaluable to the Hornets. 

Bringing back the buzz

It's those around Walker, Batum and Zeller who must step up. The Hornets' style of play puts a heavy load on role players like Frank Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb. Clifford seldom uses rookies early, but Batum's injury and the lack of secondary scoring may put Malik Monk or Dwayne Bacon in the rotation.

Still, the Hornets were better than they showed last season and should bounce back. They have a solid core of players and a clear plan and style in place. However, as last season showed, sometimes that isn't what happens. If that ends up being the case once again, how does this franchise respond?

Clifford is a widely respected coach, but the Hornets have missed the playoffs twice in his four seasons in charge. If they miss it again in a very weak conference, does the front office make a change or even shake up the core? Obviously, there will be more context to work with at the end of the season, but the Hornets should expect to make the playoffs. The conference is far too weak for them to come up short once again. If they do then they're going to have to ask themselves serious questions about their core, the future and what their plans are moving forward.