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This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Charlotte HornetsOverall: 27 Title track: 104 Ownership: 54 Coaching: 42 Players: 37 Fan relations: 40 Affordability: 8 Stadium experience: 58 Bang for the buck: 18 Change from last year:?+56The buzz is officially back. In the second season since they reclaimed their bug-eyed identity from New Orleans, the Hornets finished with the highest win total (48) since pro basketball returned to Charlotte more than a decade ago. Their playoff run lasted but one round, but the future remains bright, and the teams jump of 56 spots from last year was the second-largest in sports.Whats goodThe Hornets missed out on being the cheapest ticket in basketball by a measly 40 cents (at $30.60 a ticket, theyre a hair more expensive than the Pelicans). But add $5 parking and a free program, and the Hornets are the best deal in the sport, especially considering they went 30-11 at home last year (good for a bang for the buck ranking of 18th overall and fifth in the NBA). Although the team still doesnt feature a true superstar, it does have Steve Clifford, who has pieced together a top-10 defense in each of his three seasons and has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the brightest minds in coaching (at 42nd overall, hes up 46 spots).Whats badThe on-court product is finally worth the modest price of admission, and the fan base has warmly embraced the return of Hugo & Co., but fans still arent convinced this team has a title in it (104th in title track). Twenty-two other NBA fan bases gave their squads better scores than the Hornets in expectancy to win a title during their lifetimes. Another blow to the Hornets fan relations and stadium experience (40th and 58th, respectively): The NBA pulled the 2017 All-Star Game over objections to North Carolinas House Bill 2.Whats newIn the summer of 2015, the Hornets took heed of the machine forming out in Oakland and loaded up on players boasting similar profiles: offensively skilled, versatile shooters. The resulting roster -- ranked 37th overall by the fans, up an astonishing 64 spots -- didnt place the team on quite the same fast track to a title, but this squad was right on the cusp of a breakthrough postseason before it squandered a 3-2 series lead to the Miami Heat. A 25-spot jump in stadium experience is in part thanks to a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard above center court that is both pricey ($7 million) and enormous (42.8 feet wide and 25.2 feet tall on the sideline, 31.3 feet wide and 18 feet tall on the baseline). The Hive will now be the biggest living room, likely, in Charlotte, Pete Guelli, the teams executive vice president and chief marketing officer, recently told the Charlotte Observer.Next: Boston Celtics?| Full rankingsCheap Retro Jordan . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Discount Air Jordan . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. https://www.wholesalejordanshoeschina.com/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Air Jordan Outlet . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Air Jordan 19 For Sale . PAUL, Minn.Peyton Manning is retired. Tom Coughlin is gone. Heck, the Rams no longer are in St. Louis.Upheaval is the buzzword for the NFL as training camps open. At least until big-name players get big-time injuries, or major holdouts end, or tackling and blocking for real begin, the departures of a likely Hall of Fame player and coach will be front and center.Not to mention the first shifting of an NFL franchise since the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997.Mannings retirement doesnt exactly leave a void at the top of the quarterback ranks with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton and, oh yeah, Peytons little brother Eli still around. It does, however, create a huge chasm to fill in Denver.With Von Millers messy contract situation settled -- it got ugly at times -- Denver still must deal with the defections of Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan from the brilliant defense via free agency. So change hasnt exactly been positive for the champion Broncos.Nothings smooth about what we do, coach Gary Kubiak has said. Theres always things happening. But the most important thing is what we do out there on that field and how we get ready to play.So, I think weve done a good job of sorting through distractions and various things that are going on with our football team and staying focused on football.The Giants have a new look on the sideline as the often red-faced Coughlin resigned (before he was forced out) after a dozen seasons. Whether his gesticulations or his coaching acumen will be most missed is anyones guess, but Ben McAdoo steps in for his first top job in the pros.McAdoos first challenge is getting the team out of a four-year rut of not making the playoffs. General manager Jerry Reese and team owners spent big in free agency to provide McAdoo with the tools to turn around the Giants.We have talented players. It is just a matter of getting the most out of their ability, letting them make plays and letting everyone step up and do their job, quarterback Eli Manning said.ddddddddddddI think we made a big jump this offseason, linebacker Devon Kennard adds. It is a great group of guys that came in through the draft and free agency and jelling with the guys who have already been here.Well see.Other new head coaches are Adam Gase in Miami, Hue Jackson in Cleveland, Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, Dirk Koetter in Tampa, and Chip Kelly in San Francisco. Mike Mularkey has moved from interim to head coach in Tennessee.Los Angeles, meanwhile, returns to the NFL roster at the expense of St. Louis, where the Rams previously resided for two decades. Things wont look much different with the Rams, however -- they left the LA area (Anaheim, actually) in 1995 -- as they call the aging LA Coliseum home until their palace in nearby Inglewood is ready in 2019.While NFL owners clearly were eager to get back to Hollywood, it remains questionable how enamored of the NFL fans in SoCal will be.But Rams general manager Kevin Demoff doesnt seem concerned.This has really been a labor of love over the past five months to get this team up and running in every facet, Demoff told the Ventura County Star. Our group has been working tirelessly. I must say, the warm reception we have received from everybody in this community has been unbelievable.Unbelievably, Deflategate actually is over. Tom Bradys on-again, off-again suspension is on for the first four games of the regular season. That means Jimmy Garoppolo behind center; seeing anyone but No. 12 quarterbacking the Patriots might be the biggest upheaval of all.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '