30 Teams in 30 Days: Charlotte Hornets

Our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series concludes today with a preview of the Charlotte Hornets, as they look to pick up where they left off from last season's 43-win year as the then-Bobcats, and are looking forward to reclaiming the Buzz as they officially bring back the Hornets moniker back home to the Carolinas after a long 12-year absence.

Last season's record: 43-39(3rd in Southeast Division and 7th in Eastern Conference; Lost to MIA 4-0 in Eastern Conference First Round)

Head Coach: Steve Clifford(2nd season, 43-39 overall)

Arena: Time Warner Cable Arena(19,077)

Website: Hornets.com

Entering the 2013-14 season, the then-Charlotte Bobcats were looking for a way to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 after 3 straight losing seasons, and the only way that they did so was bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Steve Clifford and landing Al Jefferson. Charlotte would be one of the young teams on the rise last season, and many thought that the then-Bobcats would be a threat in the Eastern Conference.  We were all right, as Charlotte finished up the season with a 43-39 record, good enough to give them the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, setting up a first-round showdown with the Miami Heat.

The first round was somewhat dominated by Miami, as the Heat not only swept Charlotte in 4 straight games, but it would signal the end of the "Bobcats" moniker in Charlotte as we know it after 10 seasons.

Emerging in it's waif...the return of one of the most iconic brands in all of sports, as the franchise officially evolved into the Charlotte Hornets, as they would give the fans what they wanted and officially "Bringing Back the Buzz" to Charlotte and the Carolinas after a long 12-year absence.

Besides the return of Purple and Teal and Hugo the Hornet, they made a big splash in Free Agency this past off-season, and landing in Lance Stephenson to help the team become a even more dangerous threat in the East and together with Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, many of the so-called "Experts" out there could possibly pick Charlotte as the "Dark Horse" of the Eastern Conference, and some could have them winning their first division title in the franchise's 25 year history in Charlotte(since 1988).

If you were a fan of the original Hornets during their 14 year run, you've heard of all the great names that donned the iconic uniform such as Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Larry Johnson, and Alonzo Mourning, and with the season approaching, the newly-reborn Charlotte Hornets hope to capture that same excitement and passion once again in "Buzz City", and they are ready to take that next big step in the storied history of Charlotte NBA Basketball.