The Charlotte Hornets went from feeling like a pleasant surprise to looking like a team searching for answers in a hurry.
After opening the season by winning three of their first four games, Charlotte has dropped four straight and now sits at 3-5. The latest setback was a blowout loss to Detroit on Monday, a 33-point defeat that wiped away a lot of the early optimism around this group.
That kind of night came with a glaring problem attached: the Hornets coughed it up 25 times. When a team gives away that many possessions, it’s tough to stay in the game, let alone win it.
The schedule doesn’t offer much relief right away, either. Charlotte opens November with Brooklyn, then gets Boston and Cleveland next.
The Nets have had their own issues, but that’s still a game the Hornets should be able to compete in and win. After that, things get much tougher on paper.
Boston and Cleveland could say a lot about where Charlotte really stands. Those matchups will be a much clearer test than the first few games of the month.
Then comes a rough stretch out west. Phoenix, the Clippers, and the Lakers are all on the schedule, and all three are road games. That trip has the potential to get ugly fast if Charlotte doesn’t stabilize.
Atlanta is in the mix, too, and the Hawks already handled the Hornets once this season. Charlotte gets another crack at them this month, and the hope is that the second meeting looks different.
There are still winnable games on the calendar. Later in November, Memphis, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Washington all appear on the schedule, and those are the kinds of matchups Charlotte should believe it can take advantage of if it plays well.
Coby White made his season debut against Detroit and scored seven points in 16 minutes. His return gives Charlotte another scoring option, especially on nights when the offense goes cold. He isn’t a cure-all, but he should help.
The Hornets have chances ahead of them. The challenge now is turning those chances into wins. Nobody is expecting Charlotte to run the table this month, but this is where it has to start making up ground.
In Other News...
Hornets Finally Get Kon Knueppel Back At A Desperate Time
The Hornets are getting a needed boost just as their offense has sputtered through the opening stretch. Kon Knueppel has been upgraded to available and is set to make his season debut Wednesday against Brooklyn after sitting out the first eight games with a left hamstring strain, giving Charlotte another option as it tries to dig out of the leagues offensive cellar.
There is still work to do on the injury front, though, with Grant Williams heading to the G League for practice as he continues to recover from a right hamstring strain. For a team already dealing with a sluggish start, getting one wing back helps, but the Hornets are still piecing together the rest of the rotation and waiting for more reinforcements to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Grant Williams Return Still Leaves Hornets With A Frontcourt Problem
Grant Williams road back from a right hamstring strain has taken him to the Hornets G League affiliate, where Charlotte sent him to Greensboro for practice as he continues working toward a return. He has missed the first eight games, and for a team trying to sort out its frontcourt rotation, every day without him matters a little more.
Williams absence carries extra weight because this is not just a routine setback. He already worked back from a torn ACL and other knee injuries suffered in November 2024, then returned to play in January 2026, so the Hornets are being careful with a player whose recent injury history has already tested their depth. For now, the only certainty is that Charlotte still does not have a firm timetable for when he will be back in game action. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Finally Get Back A Shooter Their Offense Desperately Needed
The Hornets are getting a much-needed boost to their perimeter game with Kon Knueppel set to rejoin the lineup on Wednesday, giving the offense another shooter after a sluggish start to the season. The 2025 fourth overall pick made an immediate impression as a rookie, finishing as the runner-up for NBA Rookie of the Year and quickly establishing himself as one of the teams most reliable threats from beyond the arc.
Charlotte has been piecing together its rotation as other pieces have come back into the fold, including starting guard Coby White, while Grant Williams was recently sent to the G League affiliate for practice. Knueppels return matters because the Hornets have been searching for spacing and shot-making, and his presence should help open things up for a group that has been trying to find a better offensive rhythm. [Read more 🡒]