The Hornets Have Found A New Identity…

The Hornets Have Found A New Identity…

The Hornets are maybe the NBA’s most interesting rebuild. Between a surplus of injuries, lack of a true direction, yet weirdly talented young roster, I’m keeping a close eye on Charlotte, but what can we expect from them in 2026? And what can we make of their future? There was a lot to be excited for with the Hornets last season, and it all just fell apart. Everybody was ready to see Trey Man as a sixth man, and he made it 13 games before suffering a season ending injury. There was a lot of buzz around Brandon Miller entering his sophomore season, and he played 27 games. LaMelo was playing the best basketball of his career and he missed 35. While Mark Williams was also playing his best basketball, missed 38 games, and had such bad injury problems that the Lakers canled a trade for him. With everyone getting hurt and no depth to fill out the roster, they still had guys like Taj Gibson starting a few games. Needless to say, the team didn’t perform so well. They had one of the worst offenses and defenses in the league, won 19 games, and finished with a bottom three record across the board. They just hit every major red flag. They had little to no defensive personnel at each position. They didn’t score the ball well from any of the three levels. Didn’t get to the line and turned it over a lot. Like I said, injuries were at the forefront, but still something had to change as this was now the fifth year of LaMelo Ball without a single playoff appearance. Luckily, that losing landed them the fourth overall pick where they selected Khan Canipple. The selling point with Canipple is that he’s a big wing with absolutely insane shooting touch. Seriously, between his ability to shoot off the dribble, off of movement, through tight windows, he’s one of those prospects who really could turn into one of the league’s premier three-point weapons, but it’s not like he’s limited to long-range jumpers. Sure, he isn’t the most explosive athlete in the world and doesn’t have that quick twitch movement, so he’s not the type to create a ton of downhill pressure or draw a ton of fouls. He is a very crafty scorer with the ball, though, using his size, strength, and handle to get where he needs to go on the court. And maybe more importantly, he’s a good decision maker who consistently finds the right passes. That combination of shotmaking, high feel, and quick decision-making might just one day turn him into one of the league’s most dynamic offball weapons. What if I told you that you could have the convenience of fast food and the taste of home cooking in one fresh meal? If you’re like me and don’t always have time to cook for yourself, Factor meals are perfect for you. It’s as simple as unboxing, heating it up, and in a matter of 2 minutes, you’ll have a fully prepared meal on the table. 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As a result, he’s sort of been forced into a score first role where he’s taking upwards of 20 shots a game. He too lacks explosive burst, but unlike Caniple, he’s arguably the skinniest player in basketball, so he can’t really use his body. He also isn’t the type to generate many layups or free throws. And although he makes up some of that ground with his elite touch and highle float game, the end result is still a very three-point reliant scorer. Threes accounted for over 50% of his shot attempts last season. And because he took so many shots, that led to an average of 11.2 three-point attempts per game, more than any other player. Just for reference, Steph Curry during his unanimous MVP season in 2016 also averaged 11.2 attempts. With the Hornets, LaMelo has to create a lot of these opportunities for himself in limited space while seeing aggressive coverages. And I do think his three-point percentage undersells the caliber of shotmaker he truly is. Over the last three seasons, he’s made 40% of his wideopen threes, 38% off the catch, and 33% off the dribble. All of which are above average marks. All that’s to say, LaMelo and Canipple playing off of each other is a lot of pressure coming from the perimeter. And I haven’t even gotten into Brandon Miller, who’s a pretty big volume shooter himself. Due to the injury, he only played 27 games last season, but during that time, he averaged about 11 three-point attempts himself, third behind just LaMelo and Steph Curry. A lot more of his opportunities come off the catch. Still, he’s got that quick trigger and the size to shoot over contests. So, it’s not like he’s out there taking easy shots. Since entering the league, he’s made 42% of his wideopen threes, 38% off the catch, and 32% off the dribble. Really fitting the profile of a great spot up. If you thought LaMelo took a lot of his shots from three, Miller took about 60% of his shots behind the ark. And I actually think his development as a creator is maybe the most important part of this upcoming season. It’s year three now. We’ve seen the mid-range game. We’ve seen the volume three-point shooting. What we haven’t seen is consistent downhill pressure or playmaking. I think this is the year where we truly find out if he can elevate into a legitimate onball presence or if he projects to be more of an offball guy long term. Either way, this might be the most intriguing offensive trio in the NBA. They’re going to be getting up 25 threes a game. And if they all get hot at the same time, it creates this weirdly high ceiling. However, if they all go cold at the same time, it creates a really low floor because none of them really have anything else to consistently fall back on. For that reason, I’m a big fan of them bringing in Colin Ston. He’s a really skilled onball creator and he brings that much needed slashing. So, the Hornets have some interesting offensive lineups at their disposal with Sexton and all of that shooting talent. In addition to what he brings in terms of skill set, I also just love him as a vet for the young guys. His motor, his energy, his vibes. When you’ve got three young guards and wings who are all highle shooters, I think he’s an awesome guy to have in the locker room or just to give the team a different look. The same goes for Spencer Denwy. He’s a skilled creator and a very good passer who doesn’t turn the ball over. So, it’s another veteran who can step in and organize the offense. Keep in mind, we’re talking about a team that needs lots of injury assurance. LaMelo’s only played him 43% of all possible games since 2023. So, you can basically guarantee that he misses at least 30. Then who knows what to expect from Miller after his return. So they’ll need a back court and I think they did a pretty good job. With that said, the front court is a serious problem because they lost Mark Williams and Ysef Nerkach and replaced them with Mason Plumbley, meaning that their big man rotation is now Plumbley, Musa Diabate, and small ball Grant Williams. At this point, you know what you’re getting from Plumbley and Grant. I do think Diabate is pretty interesting though because last year was his first time playing a serious role, and he showcased some nice skills. For one, he’s an absolute monster on the offensive glass, and he’s a pretty good pick and roll finisher who can get above the rim. Then on defense, he’s big, lengthy, and mobile enough to do a few different things. So, we’ll have to see if that can translate into serious playing time or potentially even some minutes as a starter. Also, I should mention that they took Ryan Kulkber in the second round of the draft. He’s an older rookie, so maybe he’s a bit more NBA ready than the usual projects. He’s huge. He’s got incredible touch. He’s a great rim protector, and he’s even shown some flashes of a jumper. However, he’s one of those more traditional anchor bigs who lacks the foot speed or quickness to really do anything outside of drop coverage. And he doesn’t really bring much to the table on offense outside of his ability to finish plays. So, there’s a chance he gets some run, but there’s also a chance he’s more of a draft and stash type of guy. And if so, Plumbley’s probably the starter. A backline of him and Miles Bridges doesn’t exactly sound like a defensive force. I think it’s time to acknowledge just how abysmal this team is on the other side of the ball. Take a look at the depth chart. Are the team’s best on ball defenders Josh Green and Pat Coneton. Diabate is quite literally the only vertical presence on the roster and they have multiple weak links who can’t really defend any position. At the end of the day, for how fun they’ll be to watch and the few exciting young players they have, they’re going to be tanking. The offense could be worse. Between LaMelo’s ability to raise the floor and the volume three-point shooting to get hot at any moment, I don’t think there’s some disastrous scoring team, but they’re still bad. Lacking rim pressure, versatility, and any semblance of a front court. Then, to put it flatly, they’re the worst defensive team in the league. There’s just nothing to look forward to on that end. So, I’d be shocked to see them win more than 22 games. That’s more than okay, though. Like I said, they’ve got young talent. They’ve also got great draft capital. Not only do they own all seven of their next first round picks, depending on how the league shakes out this year, they could end up with two top eight picks in a stacked class. There’s a lot to be excited about. Not just because of Eric Collins and the broadcasting team, but the product on the court. Between the length and athleticism as well as the shotmaking, I feel like they’re starting to build an identity of running and gunning. And that fits LaMelo’s play style to a tea as he’s an elite transition playmaker. So, they’ll be a fun watch this year. They’ll potentially set themselves up for a big win in the off season. And who knows, maybe Brandon Miller takes the leap. Maybe Khan Canipple shows he can be more than an offball weapon. Maybe one of the other three rookies they drafted turns out to be a hit. And maybe the Hornets can get back to consistent playoff appearances for the first time in nearly 30 years. [Music]

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Between a surplus of injuries, lack of a true direction, yet weirdly talented young roster, the Charlotte Hornets are maybe the NBA’s most interesting rebuild. But what can we make of their future?

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