A new set of NBA power rankings has the Charlotte Hornets sitting higher than plenty of people expected as the season draws near.
NBA analyst Sean Deveney of Heavy.com placed Charlotte at No. 18, a respectable slot for a team that is still widely viewed as more likely to miss the playoffs or land in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament than make a real postseason run.
That gap between outside expectations and the ranking itself is what makes the Hornets interesting. Charlotte isn’t being talked about like a contender, but there’s enough young talent here to make this a team opponents have to take seriously on a nightly basis. The offense, in particular, could be a problem.
The biggest shift for Charlotte comes with Brandon Miller stepping into the role of franchise centerpiece this season after star guard LaMelo Ball was traded over the offseason. The Hornets are going to lean hard on Miller now, and that comes with real pressure attached. The former No. 2 overall pick has already shown plenty of promise, and his numbers from last season back that up: 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.0 steals across 65 games.
He won’t be carrying the load alone. Kon Knueppel, who broke out as a rookie in his second year, is set to be a major piece of the puzzle as well.
Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while hitting 42.5 percent from three. He also set multiple records, including the NBA’s all-time rookie single-season three-point record.
Charlotte will need that shot-making to keep coming.
The other major addition is center Naz Reid, who arrived in the Ball trade. Reid has built a reputation as a strong Sixth Man, but he should now be in the starting lineup. His ability to space the floor and contribute on both ends gives the Hornets another real weapon, and he, too, will be asked to shoulder a bigger burden - especially defensively.
For a team that isn’t expected to do much more than fight for respectability, No. 18 is a solid place to land. The Hornets have enough youth, scoring, and intrigue to make this season worth watching.
In Other News...
Hornets Face A Big Brandon Miller Decision Before His Price Changes
Brandon Millers place in Charlottes future is suddenly one of the biggest questions hanging over the franchise. With LaMelo Ball gone, Miller is expected to step into a much larger role, and the Hornets have every reason to treat the next stretch of his career as a referendum on what kind of centerpiece he can become.
The contract side of that equation may be trickier than it first appears. NBA insider Zach Lowe has raised doubts about Charlotte simply handing Miller a max extension, suggesting the sides could end up negotiating toward a deal closer to Amen Thompsons range, while Miller continues rehabbing from left shoulder surgery and has not yet been cleared for basketball activities. For a team trying to map out its next core, the timing makes the decision even more delicate. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Add Another Young Guard With A Bigger Camp Question
The Hornets kept turning over the back end of their offseason roster by adding another young guard in Bez Mbeng, the undrafted Yale product who has already logged time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and spent part of a season with the Utah Jazz on 10-day contracts before landing a rest-of-season deal. Charlotte made room for him after waiving Kobe Stewart, another sign that the team is still sorting through developmental options as camp approaches.
Mbeng looks like the kind of player the Hornets want in their pipeline, someone who can slot into the system and spend time with the Greensboro Swarm if everything lines up. The catch is in the paperwork and the path forward, because an Exhibit 10 setup would only be part of the equation and Greensboro would still need to secure his returning rights from Sioux Falls before that next step becomes official. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Just Gave Hornets Fans Another Reason To Be Excited
Naz Reids move to Charlotte already looked like one of the more interesting parts of the LaMelo Ball trade, and the fit only gets more intriguing from there. After winning the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award with Minnesota, Reid is expected to step into the Hornets starting lineup next season, giving the roster a proven frontcourt piece who just finished averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Reid has also opened up about his reaction to the deal, which helps explain why this one landed with such a jolt. Hell be one of the more closely watched additions on the team next season, not just because of his production, but because Charlotte is paying real money for the chance to see whether his game translates cleanly into a bigger role after the move from Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]