The Hornets are still hard to pin down, and this week didn’t do much to make them easier to read.
A few players gave Charlotte something to feel better about. A few others left the picture just as murky as before. That’s where things stand right now: some progress, some frustration, and plenty of room for the whole thing to shift again next week.
Brandon Miller was the clearest positive. There’s been a wait for him to string together a stretch like this, not just one good night followed by a quiet one.
What stood out was that even when the shot wasn’t falling - including a rough shooting night against Washington later in the week - he kept hunting for it. That matters.
Miller playing aggressively is the version Charlotte needs more than a night where he disappears because the jumper isn’t there.
Grayson Allen also moved in the right direction. He wasn’t the part of the deal that drew the most attention when Charlotte got him, and the first-round pick was always the centerpiece.
But Allen has made an impression. He’s been fun to watch, and there are moments when it feels like Charlotte may have gotten a little more out of the trade than expected.
That doesn’t make him the headliner, but it does make him more interesting than he seemed at the start.
Not every newcomer got that kind of boost. One of them was strong enough to land in a positive spot earlier, but getting benched for an entire half is not something that can be waved away.
That kind of week changes the conversation. The belief is still there, but the expectation was to see more by now, and this stretch didn’t deliver it.
Dennis Schröder is in a similar place, though for different reasons. The expectation was that he’d settle in quickly, and that hasn’t happened yet.
There have been flashes, but not enough of them. The waiting continues, and this week didn’t really move that along.
That’s the frustrating part with Charlotte right now. One night can leave you feeling good about what you’re seeing, and the next can make you wonder where that team went. So for now, the stock report is simple: Miller is rising, Allen is making a case, and a couple of newcomers are still slipping into the category of questions rather than answers.
In Other News...
Hornets Need More Around Brandon Miller In Crucial Pistons Rematch
Brandon Miller gave Charlotte plenty to work with in the first meeting with Detroit, pouring in 31 points in a game the Hornets still could not finish off. Now the teams meet again with Charlotte sitting at 3-4 and trying to steady itself against a Pistons group that has opened the season 5-1, making this one feel like an early test of whether the Hornets can turn a strong individual effort into a more complete team performance.
The challenge is bigger because Charlotte is already dealing with two hamstring absences, which has thinned the rotation and put more pressure on the supporting cast around Miller. The Hornets do not need a miracle so much as a few more reliable scoring nights and cleaner minutes from the rest of the roster, especially in a rematch where Detroit already knows what Miller can do and will be ready for it. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Put Tidjane Salan In A Tough Roster Spot
Tidjane Salans recent night offered a small reminder of why the Hornets remain intrigued by him. He logged 12 minutes and flashed a few promising moments, the kind of brief run that keeps a young player on the radar even when his role is still in flux.
The bigger issue is what Charlotte has already done with his contract. The Hornets have reportedly declined the fourth-year option on Salans deal, which changes the timeline on his future and puts the team in a more delicate spot with a player it may still want to keep around. Charlotte could look to bring him back on a friendlier deal, but with his contract situation shifting, he also becomes a name to watch as the February trade deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Bigger Problem Than Another Close Loss
Another close loss left Charlotte with the same familiar frustration, this time after the Hornets let a late lead slip away against Philadelphia. The result was disappointing enough on its own, but it also reinforced a bigger issue hanging over the team right now: the Hornets are still trying to clean up the kind of late-game mistakes that keep turning winnable nights into losses.
Moussa Diabat pointed to execution as the problem, and the timing makes the concern even sharper with Charlotte still waiting on injured contributors Coby White, Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams to come back. Those absences matter, and the hope inside the locker room is that the roster will look more complete soon, but the Hornets also know the current stretch is exposing how much sharper they need to be before that help arrives. [Read more 🡒]