There is a feeling of dread surrounding the Charlotte Hornets, who sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 22-24, as the NBA season heads into its second half. While lucky to be playing in the far weaker conference, the Hornets are still the face of mediocrity.

Despite a possible playoff appearance, the club would still have to face superior competition in the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks or one of the east’s other top teams, and would likely bow out of the playoffs in a hurry. The Hornets aren’t playing poorly, but they simply do not have the talent to keep up with the rest of the east.

With the trade deadline approaching, it will be interesting to see how the Hornets’ roster ends up and what changes management decides to make. It is difficult to envision the Hornets standing pat with the roster they have, with the Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic all close behind the Hornets in the race for the east’s last playoff spot.

There will be a small flurry of movement at the deadline among the league, and the Hornets need to take advantage and acquire pieces that will guarantee not only a playoff spot, but a competitive playoff team.

Here’s a breakdown of where the Hornets stand now through 46 games:

Guards:

Kemba Walker is the hot commodity for the Hornets, pushing for his third All-Star appearance, which will be held in the Queen City this year. Walker is averaging 25 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 5.6 assists. His points, assists and steals all lead the Hornets, and he shoots well from the field at 44 percent and 36 percent from 3-point range.

This is a testament to how good Walker is and how little help he receives on the star front. The Hornets will try to re-sign one of their best players in franchise history to a mega-deal after the season, as Walker is single-handedly making the Hornets a competitive team.

Jeremy Lamb has been the second-best player on the squad and is second on the team in scoring average since moving to the starting lineup. This change occurred with the head coaching change that happened in the offseason, with the team moving on from Steve Clifford in favor of James Borrego. Borrego has utilized Lamb more than Clifford ever did, and it has tremendously helped Lamb. Lamb is averaging 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and one steal in 29 minutes per game, all of which are career-highs.

Second-year guard Malik Monk is having a better sophomore season than his rookie year, and is third on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game. While his shooting numbers still are not solid at 40 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range, he is developing into his own, and has found himself in a consistent role off of the bench.

Tony Parker was a late addition to the Hornets in the offseason, in a surprising move that saw him leave the San Antonio Spurs where he played for 17 seasons. Parker has been a reliable veteran presence off the bench for the Hornets, and has become what the Hornets desperately needed, which was someone that could hold their own at the point guard position when Walker left for the bench. Parker is averaging 9.5 points, and his 3.9 assists per game ranks second on the Hornets.

Rookie point guard Devonte’ Graham has spent a lot of his season in the G-League while on the Hornets bench, but has started three games for the Hornets. In those three games, Graham started alongside Walker and averaged 9.3 points, but shot poorly from the floor at around 35 percent. His development into a backup point guard after Parker retires will be one to watch.

Forwards:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is having a better season since being moved to the bench in favor of Lamb, which slid guard/forward Nicolas Batum back to his natural position at small forward in the starting lineup. Kidd-Gilchrist has never been renowned for his shot, but is renowned as an excellent defender, and Borrego using Kidd-Gilchrist off the bench has helped him and the team overall.

Of players on the Hornets who average more than 15 minutes per game, Kidd-Gilchrist posts the third-best net rating at 1.5. This shows that when Kidd-Gilchrist is on the floor, the team outscores opponents by 1.5 points.

Batum was re-signed to a big deal in the summer of 2016 in the hopes that he would develop into the co-star that Walker has long desired. Instead, Batum and fellow 2016 re-signee forward Marvin Williams have been mediocre for the Hornets. While neither have been outright bad, neither have been particularly good either.

The pair is combining for 19 points per game, with Batum accounting for 8.9 and Williams for 10.1. Batum’s 8.9 ppg are not ideal for the forward who averages over 30 minutes per game. Batum’s scoring averages have been on a decline since joining Charlotte four seasons ago, and Batum now needs to finish out the season strong so that he can show he is worth his big contract.

Williams has been a solid contributor for the Hornets, with his capability to hit shots from 3-point range. Williams is fourth on the team in 3-point percentage and is second in 3-point shots taken. Williams is on a high-paying contract, but has been a good veteran presence for the Hornets in the locker room.

Frank Kaminsky is a name that has been brought up in trade rumors, after a few mediocre seasons in Charlotte since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. Kaminsky has all but fallen completely out of the rotation, and it is possible that the Hornets will try to acquire some more draft capital for the fourth-year forward.

Rookie Miles Bridges has been impressive, averaging 12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes. In the rotation, Bridges only gets about 19.2 minutes per game. The high-flying rookie has now been confirmed to participate in the slam dunk contest at the All-Star Weekend.

Second-year forward Dwayne Bacon has been incredibly efficient in little playing time, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 55 percent from beyond the arc. While Bacon is only playing a little over 10 minutes per game, his scoring average is up to 4.6 points per game from 3.3. Per 36 minutes, Bacon averages 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, which is great for the forward who is looking to slide his way into some playing time, despite being behind many wings on the roster.

Centers:

With recent injury to center Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez have been filling the hole left by Zeller in the paint. Biyombo has started in place of Zeller, after starting the year as a third-string player, and has played well for the most part. While neither player has played exceptional defense for the team, both have been great rebounders, and Hernangomez has flashed some amazing offensive potential for the Hornets.

Lineup to Watch:

The young core of the Hornets has been one of the best parts of the season for Hornets fans. From seeing the growth of Hernangomez, Monk and Bacon to seeing solid rookie seasons from Bridges and Graham, this season has served as a transitional one with the veteran players’ contracts coming up soon, and the younger players preparing to fill the void.

One of the best lineups of the year is a lineup that runs Parker, Monk, Bridges, Kidd-Gilchrist and Hernangomez, who post a whopping 17.9 net rating. This lineup is the fourth-most used lineup by Borrego, but could see more run as the season goes on. Another lineup to watch will be the return of Zeller to the starting lineup. When Zeller starts, the starting lineup posts a 6.1 net rating, but when Biyombo starts, the team posts a -18.4 net rating. When Zeller returns, the Hornets will be in much better position for the playoffs.

Looking Ahead:

Six of the next 10 games for the Hornets are on the road. The Hornets are 6-16 on the road, and 16-8 when playing at home.

This is one of the biggest disparities in the league between home records and away records. Luckily for the Hornets, the upcoming schedule is not terrible. Only four of their next 10 opponents have winning records, one of which is the Los Angeles Clippers who are mediocre on the road at 11-11. If the Hornets can beat the Clippers at home and take care of business against lesser teams, then they will finish this stretch at 7-3 or better, which would help put the season back on track.