2024-25 Hornets Awards: Team MVP, Most Improved, and more

Which Hornets deserve internal accolades?

Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) with a back the behind pass to center Mark Williams (5) in front of New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets didn't get any NBA recognition this year. No player was good enough to warrant an award, and they're not going to land on any All-NBA teams this season. Internally, though, some Hornets players did do enough to warrant some team recognition.

Here's who was the MVP, the most improved, and more.

Charlotte Hornets Team Awards

1. Team MVP: LaMelo Ball

Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) signals for his three point shot against the New York Knicks during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Despite only playing 47 games and not even qualifying to lead the team in any metric, LaMelo Ball was the MVP. With him, the Hornets were 16-31. They were 3-32 without him. Plus, only a few NBA players had the output that Ball had, averaging 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. The shooting numbers are one thing, but the overall production was much better than anyone else on the team.

2. Most Improved: Moussa Diabate

Apr 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) fouls Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Moussa Diabate went from being a two-way afterthought to genuine conversations about whether or not he should be the starting center. His offense left some to be desired, but he was a strong defender and one of the league's most tenacious rebounders. Everything went up for Diabate this year, and he earned a long-term contract as a result.

3. Rookie of the Year: KJ Simpson

Apr 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson (25) shoots during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing race. Tidjane Salaun was one of the 2024 class' worst rookies, although he was probably not supposed to play as much at the NBA level as he did. Either way, Simpson was the better rookie. He averaged 7.8 points per game and shot 34.6% from the field. That's bad, but Salaun was even worse. Simpson did seem to handle starting duties decently well in the face of injuries, though.

4. Surprise of the Year: Seth Curry

Apr 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) pulls up to shoot a three against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Seth Curry wasn't much of a consideration to the 2024-25 Hornets, but injuries to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller opened the door for a lot of playing time down the stretch. He ended up leading the entire NBA in three-point percentage. Him shooting over 45% from three isn't a surprise, but having enough attempts to qualify and outshoot the rest of the sport is a big one.

5. Healthiest of the Year: Miles Bridges

Apr 2, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Miles Bridges led the team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. That's not because he had such a banner year, as 20.3/7.5/3.9./0.7 is a good but not spectacular stat line. He's up there because he qualified to be, which is more than anyone else can say. Bridges had one stint on the bench with injury. He played 64 games, the third-most among any Hornet, and that deserves a shoutout. While his fellow stars fell around him, he stayed mostly present.

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