The Charlotte Hornets open NBA Cup play Friday night in Washington, and there’s a real path here if they can take care of business.
East Group C is no joke. Charlotte drew Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, a mix of opponents that all bring something to the table. But none of them looks like an automatic write-off for the Hornets, either.
That matters because Charlotte already knows these teams pretty well. Last season, the Hornets went 11-4 against the four other clubs in the group.
They swept Washington 4-0 and went 3-1 against both Atlanta and Chicago. Boston was the lone team that won the season series against Charlotte.
Of course, the roster landscape has shifted since then. Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
Washington added Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Boston brought in Paul George.
Last year’s head-to-head results don’t carry much weight just because the same franchises are on the schedule.
Even so, Charlotte looks more capable here than it did at first glance.
The first test comes quickly. The Hornets just knocked off Washington 110-103 on Monday, so Friday’s matchup will be the second meeting between the teams in four days. The Wizards are better on paper than they were a season ago, but if Charlotte is serious about winning the group, this is not the game to let slip away.
The rest of the slate gives the Hornets a chance to build something. Boston visits Charlotte on Nov. 6, then there’s a two-week pause before the Hornets head to Atlanta on Nov.
- Group play wraps up at home against Chicago on Nov.
Charlotte doesn’t need perfection. Win over Washington and Chicago, then steal one from Boston or Atlanta, and 3-1 is on the table. That might be enough depending on how the rest of the group shakes out.
And because point differential is part of the tiebreaker picture, the margins in these games could end up mattering just as much as the wins themselves.
Another reason the Hornets have a chance: they still haven’t been close to full strength.
Charlotte is 3-2 without Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams appearing in a game. Brandon Miller has carried a heavy scoring load, and the team has still managed to get off to a solid start.
There was some encouraging news on Knueppel Thursday. The Hornets sent him to the Greensboro Swarm for practice, which at least suggests he’s trending in the right direction after missing the start of the season with a hamstring injury.
There still isn’t a firm return date, so it would be a mistake to lock him in for Boston or anyone else. But the NBA’s East Group C preview listed Knueppel as a player expected back during group play.
If that happens, Charlotte could be a better team by the time it reaches Atlanta on Nov. 20 than it is when the Cup begins Friday.
Atlanta feels like the toughest matchup of the bunch. The Hawks won 46 games last season, brought most of that roster back, and get the Hornets at home.
Boston is still Boston, though at least Charlotte gets that one on its own floor. Chicago and Washington are the games the Hornets need to win.
Go 2-0 there, split Boston and Atlanta, and let the math sort itself out.
I wouldn’t have picked Charlotte to win the group before the season. After the first five games and a closer look at the path ahead, they’ve got a legitimate shot.
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Hornets Finally Get A Promising Sign On Kon Knueppel
The Hornets have spent the first stretch of the season short-handed, with Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams all unavailable through the opening five games. For a team trying to settle into its early-season rhythm, the absences have mattered on both ends of the floor, and any sign of relief has been worth monitoring closely.
Knueppels latest step is a notable one, as he was officially assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for practice, a move that often comes when a player is getting close to rejoining the NBA roster. Charlotte still does not have a fresh timeline for White or Williams, who remain out indefinitely, so the focus now shifts to how soon Knueppel can give the Hornets another available body and, potentially, another piece of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Are Ripping Charles Lee Over His Naz Reid Decision
Charles Lees handling of Naz Reid quickly became the kind of in-game decision that takes on a life of its own once fans get hold of it. Reid logged 13 minutes and produced 7 points with 6 rebounds before the break, but the Hornets coach sat him for the entire second half after saying the big man did not meet the staffs standards in the first half.
From there, the reaction online moved fast, with plenty of Charlotte fans ripping the move and trying to piece together what prompted it. Lee did not offer any additional explanation after the game, and Reid did not address it, leaving the decision to hang out there as another talking point for a team already under enough scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Big Man Emerges As A Trade Fit For Contender In Need
The early returns in Philadelphia have been good enough to keep the 76ers near the top of the standings, but the frontcourt still has a problem that can show up quickly in a playoff series. Rebounding has been an issue, especially on the defensive glass, and that has opened the door for outside speculation about whether a modest deadline move could help balance out the roster without costing a first-round pick.
One name that keeps surfacing in that kind of conversation is Moussa Diabat, whose energy and physicality fit the profile of the type of big man contenders tend to covet. For Charlotte, the question becomes whether a young reserve piece and future draft capital would be enough to make moving him worthwhile, while for Philadelphia the appeal is obvious: add a rugged interior presence and hope it steadies a weakness that has already drawn internal concern. [Read more 🡒]