Are the Charlotte Hornets the Best Team in the Entire NBA?

The question in the headline may sound silly to some, but we are getting to a point with this Charlotte Hornets team where it should be viewed as a legitimate curiosity.

The Hornets are now 19-2 when throwing out the starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabaté. They're also 16-3 in their last 19, and in their current six-game winning streak, they've won every game by 15 or more points.

The mark of a good team is not just beating other good teams, but beating them soundly. Obviously, there's no selection committee for the playoffs like there is for the NCAA Tournament, but my goodness, the Hornets probably have the best resume in the entire NBA. They have taken several championship contenders to the woodshed, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets.

Since the turn of the calendar to 2026, the Hornets have the league's No. 1 team rating, No. 1 offensive rating, and No. 5 defensive rating. That's two-plus months of elite basketball. This is not a fluke.

Mar 4, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts after making a three point basket during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The common theme that I'm picking up on social media is that fans around the NBA are taking notice of the Hornets and putting some respect on their name, yet are hesitant to believe they can make a run in the playoffs, often pointing to their 32-31 record.

You have to provide context to that overall record, though. When Charlotte got out to that dreadful 4-14 start, both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller missed some time due to ankle and shoulder injuries. It still may have taken some time for this group to reach the level they are currently playing at, but there's no way they would have stumbled into a record that had them 10 games under .500.

The real evaluation of this team should be when they first turned to this five-man lineup. That's who they are now and who they will be come postseason time, assuming they do clinch a spot. And if we're just being honest here, what team in the NBA is playing better basketball right now? They've beaten five of the top six seeds in the Western Conference and just dismantled the No. 2 seed in the East.

The Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers are playing some good basketball as well, but I'm not sure there's a single team out there aside from the Pistons that is currently playing better than the Bugs, and even that is a little bold, given that they've lost two straight.

Regardless of your opinion on who the best team in the league is, when it comes to the Charlotte Hornets, you can't penalize them for the injuries at the start of the year. They are one of the best teams in the league and are playing like a legit threat in the East.