Feb 10, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford talks with guard Kemba Walker (15) during a timeout in the second half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Charlotte beat Indiana, 117-95. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Even with all of the progress made by the Charlotte Hornets in recent seasons, they are still a team in need of a superstar.

The Charlotte Hornets have come a long way from being the team that had the worst record ever in 2011. They are now a competitive team that can contend for a playoff spot for years to come. Even with the progress that they have made, they are still missing an important piece.

Charlotte’s able to compete with top-tier NBA teams but they need a superstar to push them over the top. The Hornets have been without a superstar level player since maybe the days of Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson. They have been searching for a superstar player to build around since basketball returned to the Queen City in 2004.

Whether it be through the draft, trades, or free agency, Charlotte has desperately been trying to snag a superstar for more than a decade. With multiple lottery picks, the team constantly missed on their top picks in the draft. The closest they have come to finding a superstar was when they signed Al Jefferson to a three-year, $40.5 million deal in 2013.

That signing of Big Al never materialized into what the Hornets hoped it would become. Plagued by multiple injuries, Jefferson’s time in Charlotte came to an end this offseason when they decided not to re-sign him. This hasn’t been the only disappointing move that the team has made in recent history.

With high draft pick like Sean May, Adam Morrison, and Noah Vonleh the team has constantly missed at prime opportunities through the draft. It’s not easy to acquire a superstar in the NBA as only a handful of them are in the league. There are only a few of them in the Association today but since 2004, none of them have ever been on the Hornets’ roster.

Charlotte has tried desperately to acquire a big name player and when Nicolas Batum showed signs of being a great player last season, they rushed to the opportunity of signing him to a five-year, $125 million contract this offseason. Nic’s new contract puts him at around $20 million per year which is high enough for the 18th biggest salary in the NBA this season. Batum is a really good player but he is nowhere near worth superstar level money.

With the hopeless Hornets clinging to the need of a superstar player, they gave Batum the most lucrative contract they have ever singed a player to. The inflated contract is due to the rising salary cap that forces teams to offer big money to mid-level players. But the argument of the team being desperate for a superstar still remains the same.

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The NBA is a completive league for the most part but you will not win this a title without a LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant level player. Every previous champion has had a superstar level player on their roster. I commend the Charlotte Hornets for trying their best to get a superstar and they played the hand that they were dealt this offseason but they still need a big time player if they want to compete for a title.

Obviously not every team in the NBA can have a superstar. And Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker are great players to have on the roster. In fact, Charlotte has one of the better lineups in the league today. They are no where close to the worst teams but they are also not the best.

This article isn’t to bash the team for bad draft picks, failed free agent signings, or the Nic Batum deal, but rather to point out that they are still in need of a superstar. The same is true for more than half of the NBA. Since returning to Charlotte in 2004, the team has yet to have a superstar level player. The Hornets’ shot at a superstar will happen one day, let’s hope they don’t miss it.

The power in the NBA shifts every so often when a big name player signs with a new team or when a rookie becomes the next big thing. The Hornets will wait their turn and until then, they are building a nice roster that could attract star players. Charlotte is heading in the right direction and they are a long way off from being the team that only won seven games in 2011.