A Surprising Hornet Who Could Push For an All-Star Nod Next Season

The Charlotte Hornets haven't had an All-Star since LaMelo Ball early in his career. And with him gone, it feels like they won't have one again for a while. But there is one Hornets star who might be surprisingly close to getting that call.

Would former Rising Stars Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller be surprising All-Stars? Maybe based on the talent in the league, but they're clearly the best the Hornets have and, assuming they do get better with higher usage and more shot attempts available, a jump to that level is not out of the question.

Coby White, however, would be a little surprising. He has existed on the periphery of the All-Star Game for most of his career. He eventually made the leap into an NBA star, but never actually made the team. Again, there's a lot of talent in the NBA.

He has all the tools, though, to finally make that leap. He has the best team around him that he has ever had, except maybe last season post-trade, but he was a backup on that team. Now, he's the man running the show.

He's never been a high-level facilitator, but you can almost guarantee a career high in assists is coming. Playing alongside Miller and Knueppel all but assures him of more assist opportunities than he's ever had.

Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) shoots over the defense of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plus, those two will provide excellent spacing for him. He's not as three-point oriented as LaMelo Ball, but he can shoot, and he can drive the ball better than Ball, at least in terms of finishing at the rim. With the spacing, it wouldn't be a surprise if his scoring ticked up a bit, too.

It's a small sample size, but his points per 100 possessions with the Hornets last year was absurd. He averaged 40.1 points per 100, which is obviously a career high. If he can capitalize on the increased role with largely the same teammates (he wasn't on the floor a ton with Ball), then he could set career highs in scoring.

Combine that with better assist numbers and the fact that the Hornets should at least be decent when the All-Star Game rolls around, and it's easy to predict a White All-Star season. Of course, if Miller and Knueppel make the leap, one of them will get in over him, because the Hornets will probably not have multiple All-Stars.

But don't count out White. He might be in for his best season yet, and that could get him a long-awaited All-Star Game appearance.

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