The Charlotte Hornets are starting to look like the blueprint for how to build a team the right way - from the ground up. After a red-hot January, they’ve gone from a rebuilding afterthought to one of the NBA’s most compelling young squads. With their 111-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center, the Hornets extended their season-best win streak to six games - and they’re not just winning, they’re growing.
This isn’t a lucky stretch or a team catching fire against soft competition. What we’re seeing in Charlotte is a group of young players developing chemistry, confidence, and an identity. This is what it looks like when a franchise commits to its draft picks, sticks with the process, and starts to see the results.
Brandon Miller is quickly becoming the face of that process. The rookie continues to turn heads, and against San Antonio, he delivered again - 26 points, eight rebounds, and a presence that felt bigger than the box score.
He took over in key moments, showing poise and shot-making that’s rare for a player this early in his career. Miller isn’t just putting up numbers - he’s setting a tone.
Off the bench, Collin Sexton was lights out. He drilled all five of his three-point attempts and finished with 21 points, injecting instant offense and energy when the Hornets needed it. His shooting stretched the floor, opened up driving lanes, and gave Charlotte a crucial spark.
LaMelo Ball, meanwhile, continues to be the engine that makes everything run. He flirted with a triple-double and orchestrated the offense with his usual mix of flair and control. Whether it’s a no-look dime or a timely bucket, Ball’s fingerprints were all over this one.
Then there’s Moussa Diabate, who quietly put together a double-double with 12 points and a strong presence in the paint. He gave Charlotte some much-needed interior stability, battling on the boards and holding his own defensively.
This was a team win through and through. Charlotte built a commanding lead in the third quarter, and even when the Spurs made a late push to cut it to two with under two minutes left, the Hornets never blinked. They closed it out with composure - the kind of composure that doesn’t usually come from a team this young.
Now, they’re right back in the playoff mix. Just two games behind the Chicago Bulls for a play-in spot, the Hornets are surging at the right time. And it all seems to trace back to that 27-point statement win in Oklahoma City earlier this month - a game that, according to Kon Knueppel, lit the fire.
The Hornets are showing what a homegrown team can be: a core of trusted draft picks stepping into leadership roles, complementary players thriving in their roles, and a coaching staff - led by Charles Lee - that’s getting buy-in across the board.
This is a team that believes in itself. And more importantly, it’s a team that’s learning how to win.
That’s a dangerous combination. Charlotte might not be the finished product yet, but make no mistake - something real is building in Buzz City.