The four most critical pieces to the Hornets' success beyond LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller

It's been a while since the Charlotte Hornets have made the playoffs, and while it may be a tall task for them to snap that skid this year, there's reason to believe that the drought could come to an end in the near future.

For Charlotte to have success this year and beyond, there are four players on the roster beyond LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller who have to live up to expectations, and in some cases, exceed them.

No. 4: G Collin Sexton

Oct 17, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) dribbles during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sexton could be a much bigger piece to the Hornets' puzzle than many realize. Just because the Jazz were no longer interested in holding onto him, and basically gave him away for a bag of chips (sorry, Nurkic), it doesn't mean his best basketball is behind him. Depending on what happens with Kon Knueppel's development, Sexton will either be a key piece in between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller or one of the better backup guards in the league.

No. 3: C Ryan Kalkbrenner

Sep 29, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) poses for a photo during media day at Queens University. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Yes, I'm including Kalkbrenner here because if he can solve the Hornets' center spot, that accelerates things for the front office. I can't put him much higher because Charlotte doesn't have a ton invested in him, and it's not like he's a lottery pick that absolutely has to pan out. This season will be a year centered around growth for him. Adjusting to the physicality, speed of the game, and showing spurts of being a quality starter.

No. 2: F Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges has been in trade rumors for years, but the Hornets continue to move forward with him, and unless something changes with Tidjane Salaün, he'll be here for the foreseeable future. Because of the lack of depth the Hornets have at the fourth spot, they need him to remain around that 20 points, seven boards per night kind of average, while finding a way to be a better on-ball defender.

No. 1: G Kon Knueppel

No one can truly gauge what a realistic ceiling is for Kon Knueppel, but the consensus is that he can be a very good player, even if it's not at an all-star level. If he does live up to the billing, then Charlotte will have three players under the age of 24 to build into the future with. The one thing Knueppel can't be is a complete bust, which doesn't appear very likely, at least from the small sample size we've seen so far.

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