{"id":569048,"date":"2026-01-29T18:45:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/569048\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T18:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:45:29","slug":"charles-barkley-bullish-on-2026-charlotte-playoff-berth-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/569048\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Barkley bullish on 2026 Charlotte playoff berth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Charlotte Hornets<\/a> are 19-28 as the NBA season reaches the halfway point. At the same time, they are getting a major boost from the recent play<\/a> of LaMelo Ball<\/a>. There is still plenty of time for something to happen, and Charles Barkley<\/a> is speaking that into existence.<\/p>\n

Barkley is adamant that the Hornets will make<\/a> the 2026 NBA Playoffs<\/a>, as he noted on Inside the NBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cChange it, the Hornets are gonna be in the playoffs,\u201d Barkley said via per r\/CharlotteHornets on X, formerly Twitter. Previously, he had Charlotte as a lock for the play-in tournament.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f Charles Barkley: “Change it\u2026 the Hornets are gonna be in the PLAYOFFS!” https:\/\/t.co\/YWsmZPMbDK<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RxDR0qXwJ3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 r\/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

With their record, Charlotte is ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Atlanta Hawks (23-25) and the Chicago Bulls (23-23). The coveted 10th spot is necessary to qualify for the play-in tournament.<\/p>\n

In addition to Ball, Charlotte has a considerable number of assets working in its favor. Brandon Miller is having a standout year,<\/a> averaging 20.5 points per game. Ball is averaging 19.1 points and 7.6 assists per game.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Charlotte has a stellar rookie in Kon Knueppel, who was recently selected to the NBA Rising Stars game<\/a> during All-Star weekend. He is averaging 18.8 points per game. Also, veteran guard Collin Sexton is averaging 13.7 points per game and shooting nearly 40% from the 3-point line.<\/p>\n

Overall, Charlotte is emerging as an effective, defensive-minded team, especially by limiting opponents’ 3-point attempts.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, they have the 10th-best defense<\/a> in the league since Nov. 28, per Jason Jones of The Athletic. Prior to Monday, Charlotte was ranked third in offensive efficiency at 118.2 points per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n

If their young developing core holds strong, Charlotte could be in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. <\/p>\n