1 Thought on Each Member of Charlotte Hornets' Main Rotation Through 55 Games

The Charlotte Hornets arrive at the cusp of the second half of the season with some real momentum. They've made strides and are careening towards a postseason berth, albeit likely in the Play-In Tournament.

The rotation has been a strength of this team, which has not always been true in the past. Here's one takeaway from the first half about most of the crucial players.

LaMelo Ball is the most important player

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts to his three point basket | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Arguments have been made that LaMelo Ball is no longer the most important player, but those are wrong. His on/off splits are among the best in the entire sport. His net rating is only lower than Moussa Diabaté's among players who've played most of the season. He's still the engine.

Kon Knueppel won't win Rookie of the Year but is the most valuable rookie

Kon Knueppel won't win Rookie of the Year over Cooper Flagg, but he's more valuable than Flagg. His shooting numbers are unheard of, and the rest of his stats (both traditional and advanced) are pretty good. But he has transformed this team. Health has played a big role, but Knueppel has been the unlocking factor to this season's success.

Brandon Miller is the go-to scorer

When the Hornets need a bucket, they should go to Brandon Miller. He has the best scoring ability on the team. Ball and Knueppel can absolutely score, but Miller has the three-level scoring ability that those two don't quite have. There's a reason he leads in points per game, and in future seasons, he probably will lead in points by an even wider margin.

Miles Bridges is the weak link but perhaps not expendable

Miles Bridges has a negative net rating, and the Hornets are 7.7 points worse with him on the floor. However, he is one-fifth of one of the best lineups in the entire league, and his chemistry with the other four starters matters. He's not very good, but that doesn't mean he should necessarily be shipped out as soon as possible.

Moussa Diabaté is the glue

Remember when center was a problem? Now, Moussa Diabaté leads the team in net rating (excluding those with less than 32 games played) and is one of the best NBA players in on/off splits. His motor and offensive rebounding are absolutely crucial to Charlotte's play style, and he deserves a ton of credit for the team's transformation.

Josh Green is underrated

Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) shoots a three-point shot | Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Josh Green was overmatched as a starter last year. As a bench player, he's been fantastic. Excluding Antonio Reeves (roughly 56 minutes all season), Green leads in net rating with an impressive 12.3. The Hornets are 13.9 points better when he's on the floor, which is an awe-inspiring number.

Grant Williams is also supremely underrated

When looking at this season, it is doubtful anyone really considered Grant Williams in their evaluation of the Hornets. He was injured and an afterthought. Now, the Hornets are 10-4 when he plays. He has a sterling 11.1 net rating, and the team is 8.1 points better when he's on the court.

Sion James is almost there

Sion James is playing a ton of minutes already as a second-round rookie, and he has mostly held his own. He is on the verge of being a legitimately solid role player. His net rating is -0.5, which means he's so close to being a truly positive contributor. More experience should push him over the top.

Ryan Kalkbrenner is a backup

Remember when Ryan Kalkbrenner started and looked pretty decent? That seems like a while ago, and the rookie has faded since. However, he is not a bad backup center. He's a rookie, so he isn't quite at the peak of his powers, but he still leads the team in blocks and has the best true shooting mark by a wide margin.

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