At 28-37 and with that five-game winning streak well in the rearview mirror, it’s clear what Charlotte has to do. It’s time for the Hornets to look towards the future.

 That’s already happened in the front office. Rich Cho and Charlotte have parted ways, and Michael Jordan and company are searching his replacement. While former Lakers Mitch Kupchak seems to be the favorite, the team has reportedly received permission to interview a trio of other candidates. Even if Kupchak, with his mixed success in LA and longtime relationship with Jordan, isn’t the most exciting candidate, it’s encouraging to see the team prepared to move forward. It’s time for the coaches and players to follow suit.

That doesn’t mean the team should rest its starters or throw away games on purpose. That leaves a bad taste in the mouths of fans and players, and it could mean the organization getting fined. What it means is adjusting lineups, placing an emphasis on the promising youth that has too often been handcuffed to the bench this season.

There’s one built-in way to make that happen. With the much-maligned backup point guard Michael Carter-Williams potentially needing shoulder surgery, there’s suddenly about 16 minutes per game available. Perhaps that void could be filled by the promising rookie that’s too often seemed handcuffed to the bench this year? Malik Monk isn’t a natural point guard, but there are not many options at that position anyway. At just 20 years old, Monk has the highest upside on the roster. Getting him on the court, even in an imperfect position, should the priority moving forward. Even if he wasn’t polished enough to contribute to a playoff hopeful, surely his potential will earn him time on a surefire lottery team.

But that’s not the only lineup adjustment that makes sense. Finding more minutes for fellow youngsters like Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez seems like an obvious starting point. After he played well early on, seeing Bacon relegated to such a small role is frustrating. And anyone that a team gives up a pair of picks for – even second-rounders unlikely to actually make the roster – should be seeing more time than Hernangomez has been. And 24-year-old Treveon Graham, already solidly in the rotation, should be a candidate to earn some extra minutes.

Of course, bench players can’t simply be thrust into larger roles without sacrifice elsewhere on the roster. But there are some candidates for a minutes reduction. Primarily, Nicolas Batum’s 31.6 minutes per game and 50 starts stand out like a sore thumb compared to his actual level of play on the season. And with several capable centers on the roster, it wouldn’t be disappointing to see Dwight Howard’s minutes dip. Howard is 32 and has plenty of miles on him – if the Hornets want him to be a major piece moving forward, it would behoove them to keep his minutes low in a lost season in an attempt to keep some tread on the tires. 

There’s another obvious candidate to lose some minutes, but it’s not a hugely popular one. Kemba Walker is on pace to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer by the end of the season. That’s a record he deserves, but he doesn’t need 34.8 minutes per game to get it. Even lowering that playing time by five minutes every night would keep him fresh and allow a younger player an opportunity to gain real in-game experience.

There’s no real downside to resting Walker a bit more – every minute he plays now is extra mileage on his body, and that mileage could be saved for a season it’s actually needed. There's no reason to run a star into the ground down the stretch of a lost season. And there’s no substitute for actual NBA experience for younger players like Monk. Finally, even though it’ll likely make the team worse, that’s not exactly a bad thing. Moving up in the draft, even just a spot or two, would increase the team’s chances of getting a star to join the team and help usher in the new era.

Admitting defeat and building for the future is never pleasant, especially when it involves limiting minutes for one of the best players in franchise history. But you can’t make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, and Charlotte’s current situation is far from an omelet. It’s time for this team to embrace the future. It’s time to #FreeMalikMonk. 

Simply put, it’s time to make some changes.