Bill Simmons Can't Believe How Things Might Turn Out For the Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the best basketball teams in the NBA since January 1. They have the best net rating since then at +10.7, which is down a bit after two consecutive losses. They have the best offensive rating and the sixth-best defensive rating in that span.

They've been absolutely incredible. However, because of a difficult loss to the now fully healthy Philadelphia 76ers and a scheduled loss, so to speak, the very next night against the Boston Celtics, their chances of getting into the playoffs are slim.

They entered Saturday night needing a win to move into the seventh seed. Now, they're the 10th seed, three games back of the playoffs with seven games remaining on the schedule. It's looking fairly dire.

They will make the Play-In, but unless they move up, that is a one-and-done tournament. Even if they do somehow move back into the seven or eight spot, that's still two losses and done. It's not a good spot to be in.

It's also somewhat unfair. The Hornets have never been very good. The one time they're actually unbelievably good, the rest of the East also gets better and the result is still a disadvantageous trip to the Play-In.

🎙️ @ZachLowe_NBA: "If I've slogged through this 82-game journey and I'm the #1 team, I gotta get something. What I shouldn't get is like, 'oh f-ck, the Hornets are #8 and I gotta deal with THIS in the first round?'"

🎙️ @BillSimmons: "Even with these play-ins, Charlotte just not… pic.twitter.com/CYPNxTYeQm
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 30, 2026

Bill Simmons, a bandwagon fan for the Hornets this year, can't believe this is the reality with how incredible they've been. He's been on the train since day one, but the train has really been chugging for three months and there's not a ton to show for it.

"Even with these play-ins, Charlotte just not making the playoffs would be insane to me," he said. "They've had the #1 net rating for half the year, and there's really a path now for them not to make the playoffs."

Such is the life of the Hornets, who seem to never be able to have nice things even when they do have nice things. They've got the best net rating since January 1, the best five-man lineup in the NBA, and they're three games back of a playoff berth.

For what it's worth, Zach Lowe thinks they might make it out, and he believes that they'd make a totally unfair first-round matchup for a top seed in the East.

"If I've slogged through this 82-game journey and I'm the #1 team, I gotta get something," he said. "What I shouldn't get is like, 'oh f**k, the Hornets are number eight, and I gotta deal with THIS in the first round?'"

That's only if the Hornets make it out, but if they do, they will likely be facing either the Detroit Pistons or Boston Celtics. They've shown they can either beat or hang tough with both squads this year. That's how good they've been, but it still might not matter.

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