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The 13th-place Charlotte Hornets have made a string of moves recently that have fans trolling them. Prior to the trade deadline, they acquired Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans and Tre Mann. All of whom came from the OKC Thunder and were part of the trade package that sent veteran wingman Gordon Hayward out West.
Now, as per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, they are reportedly signing Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski to add to their collection of talent. Pokusevski was recently waived by the Thunder after three and a half seasons.
These recent moves are unlikely to help the Charlotte Hornets fight for a spot in the Play-in Tournament in April, let alone make a push for a playoff spot. They should be viewed as moves that can potentially help them be competitive in succeeding seasons.
However, thus far, all these transactions have led to the team being targeted by internet trolls. Due to their acquisition of several ex-Thunder players, they are now being trolled by being referred to as 'Charlotte Thunder' and other similar offshoots of this name. Others have been harsher, saying that all the Hornets have done is add scrubs from OKC.
Aleksej Pokusevski's NBA journey with OKC Thunder
Aleksej Pokusevski entered the league in 2020 after being drafted 17th overall by the OKC Thunder. In his first three seasons with the Thunder, he averaged over 20 minutes per game.
He looked like a prospect with plenty of potential that could eventually develop into a key piece for a championship contender. However, he has only appeared in ten games so far this season, averaging only six minutes of playing time.
The Thunder have leaped from being a tenth-place team that was eliminated from the play-in tournament last season to competing for the top spot in the West as they are now tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for number one with a 40-17 record.
Perhaps part of why Pokusevski fell off was because OKC no longer wanted to wait for his development to come to fruition. Especially now that they look like contenders, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams looking like a formidable big-man duo.
Another reason could be his struggle with remaining healthy. In his first three seasons in the league, he has already missed a significant number of games. The most he's played was 61 games in 2021-22. In his rookie year, he only played in 45 contests and last season, he suited up for 34.
In his first four seasons in the league, Pokusevski averaged 7.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. If the Charlotte Hornets can tap into the flashes of potential that fans saw during his first four seasons, Pokusevski could become an integral part of the team's future.
