NBA Insider Says It's 'Panic Time' for Hornets, and He's Exactly Right

Is 3-6 rock bottom? It certainly feels like it for the Charlotte Hornets, who fell to that record after a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, widely considered one of the worst NBA teams this season. The numbers are ugly.

Charlotte boasts the league's worst offense, and there are plenty of reasons to be concerned. Plenty are, including analyst Kevin O'Connor. He and many others were intrigued by the bet Charlotte made by trading LaMelo Ball after a historic second half.

It's panic time in Charlotte.

Worst offensive rating in the NBA by far. They take over half their shots from 3 even though they're shooting below 30%. Sion James cannot hit the side of the backboard, yet Charles Lee keeps empowering him to launch bricks.

Brandon Miller is not… pic.twitter.com/q239uZLHuU
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) November 5, 2026

But so far, that hasn't worked out, as I covered recently. But as O'Connor puts it, it's "panic time." Nothing has worked out, and it all looks like a completely failed experiment.

O'Connor pointed out the obvious: Charlotte has the worst offensive rating in the NBA by far. He also pointed out a more troubling fact: Charlotte takes more than half of their shots from three-point range despite making just 30% of them.

They can't shoot (which is an issue given who they have on the roster), and they're unable to find any other answers. They are literally just chucking it up and praying. There's no rim pressure to help offset anything.

Hornets fans have come after Sion James, and understandably so. He's been awful in an elevated role with Kon Knueppel sidelined. Part of it is the performance, and part of it is the coaching being unwilling to do something different with James.

Charlotte Hornets point guard Sion James (4) dribbles as Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Keon Ellis (1) defends | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Sion James cannot hit the side of the backboard, yet Charles Lee keeps empowering him to launch bricks," O'Connor added. And as for the supposed stars on the roster?

O'Connor claims Brandon Miller hasn't looked worth the money. It's hard to disagree, as Miller is averaging 22 points per game on over 20 shots per game. Kon Knueppel has been hurt and hasn't played, but that's an issue in and of itself.

The insider also said he's seeing plenty of bad body language from the Hornets, signaling a defeated outlook and a team that doesn't have any hope. After nine games, that's alarming.

O'Connor said he expected a step back after the Ball trade, and everyone, even those who liked the deal, agreed that was likely. But this has been more than a step back. It's been a freefall.

"This team looks broken," O'Connor said resolutely. It's getting harder and harder to see the light and disagree with him.

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