The Charlotte Hornets are off to a 4-8 start, and the numbers have not been kind. They’ve already failed to reach 100 points five times in eight games, including a 101-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Nov.
- That kind of opening usually leaves a team searching for something, anything, to hang onto.
Right now, Coby White is that something.
Still working under a minutes restriction, White has turned two straight games into showcases of efficiency. Against Phoenix, he needed only 20 minutes to pile up 21 points, three rebounds and three assists. That came right after he helped spark Charlotte’s upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers, finishing with 11 points, nine assists and two rebounds in just 20 minutes while Moussa Diabate, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Dennis Schröder were all unavailable.
Diabate returned against the Suns, but the Hornets were still missing the rest of that group. White responded again, and this time the scoring load was even heavier. It was the kind of stretch that shows why Charlotte brought him back on a three-year, $74 million deal: he’s not only a scorer and passer who can fit into the starting group, he’s the kind of player who can seize control of a game.
Charlotte also got another encouraging piece in the loss. Grant Williams made his 2026-27 season debut and scored 11 points in 16 minutes.
The bigger picture is still messy. A 4-8 record puts the Hornets in an early hole, and they’ve only had six total minutes with Knueppel, Miller and White all on the floor together. That makes it tough to know exactly what this roster can become once it’s whole.
Even so, the signs are there. White’s recent production fits the profile of a guard who has been one of the league’s most reliable scorers in recent years, averaging 19.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 three-point field goals made per game between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
If he can keep that level going in 2026-27, Charlotte could eventually build a much steadier offense around White, Knueppel, Miller and Naz Reid. Injuries have complicated the picture, especially with Knueppel and Miller, but for now the Hornets are looking for positive habits and signs of growth.
White is providing both. He’s still under caution after a preseason calf strain, and Charlotte doesn’t need to push him. But in 20 minutes at a time, he’s making a strong case that the best version of this team is still ahead.
In Other News...
Hornets Get Caught In A Suns Reunion With Extra Tension
The Suns arrive in Charlotte riding the momentum of a win over the Clippers, but this one carries a little more edge than a routine East-West stop. The Hornets are dealing with a long injury list, while Phoenix will be without Mark Williams because of offseason surgery, setting up a matchup that already has a different feel because of the personnel on both sides.
The trade that sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix and brought Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale to Charlotte still hangs over this meeting, especially with both teams continuing to sort out roles and rotation pieces around the deal. Jordan Ott has already talked about the value Allen and O'Neale can bring, and Bridges has been part of that same conversation from the Suns side, which gives this game a little extra tension even before the ball goes up. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Let A Winnable Game Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
The Hornets had enough going for them in Phoenix to make this one feel winnable for long stretches. They rebounded well, shot the 3-ball effectively and took care of business at the line, the kind of ingredients that usually give a young team a chance on the road. Even with injuries forcing lineup shuffling, there were encouraging signs from the supporting cast and a promising look from Coby White before his night was kept in check.
What ultimately undid Charlotte was the part of the game that tends to travel the worst for a team still learning how to close. The ball kept slipping away at the wrong times, and the late-game execution never settled in enough to protect the lead it had built. For a Hornets group trying to patch together a rotation and find some consistency, the frustration was less about effort than about a familiar, self-inflicted problem that turned a manageable night into another missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Grayson Allen Returns To Phoenix With Something To Prove
Grayson Allens return to Phoenix carries a little extra weight for the Hornets, even if the season has already moved on from the offseason trade that brought him to Charlotte. Allen left behind a memorable run with the Suns, including a career night when he poured in 42 points and came close to the franchise mark for made 3-pointers in a game, and he has since settled into a valuable veteran role for a Charlotte team trying to steady itself through injuries.
For the Hornets, Allens presence has mattered beyond the box score because he has brought experience and consistency to a roster that has needed both. The reunion also adds a layer of intrigue for Charlotte, since Allen was appreciative of his time in Phoenix and now gets a chance to remind his old team what it gave up, even if the full story of that move still hangs over the matchup. [Read more 🡒]