Can the Charlotte Hornets Make a Run? Predicting Their Rest-of-Season Record

With their eyes fixated on the franchise's first playoff berth since 'Work' by Rihanna and Drake topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the Charlotte Hornets are ready to get back at it after the much-needed All-Star Break.

The Hornets are as hot as any team in the league and they have 27 games left to prove that their January and February form was no fluke. Our staff at Charlotte Hornets on SI is here to predict the team's rest-of season-record.

Matt Alquiza: 16-11 in last 27, finish 42-20

In my mind, the Hornets have graduated from 'good story' to 'good team,' and anything less than a 16-11 finish to end the season above .500 for the first time since 2021-22 would be a disappointment.

Although they have proven they can hang with and beat just about anyone (see wins @OKC, @HOU, @LAL, vs. SA), Charlotte's schedule doesn't afford them much wiggle room in the second half. If they hold serve against the tanking teams on their schedule, the Hornets should be able to crawl further up the Eastern Conference standings with some upsets against the elite teams they have left to face in 2026.

Schuyler Callihan: 16-11, finish 42-40

The Hornets have been red-hot, but I do think this disruption from the All-Star break, combined with the suspensions of Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté AND the integration of Coby White, may throw a wrench into things out of the gate. Charlotte has to play the Celtics three times, the Knicks twice, and has several physical division games ahead of them.

They will fall back down to Earth, but still beat the teams they should beat, which is progress from where they've been the past couple of years. This will give them their first winning season in four years and put them in the postseason.

Zachary Roberts: 15-12, finish 41-41

Charlotte’s remaining games are about middle of the road in terms of toughness. The team has arguably already made it through the hardest part, and they kind of passed with flying colors. Losing Moussa Diabatè and Miles Bridges for three more games hurts, but provided everyone stays healthy, this team should be able to finish pretty decent.

That record should be enough to make the Play-In, but sneaking into the top six doesn’t sound realistic. They're going to come back down to earth, which is a given with how hot they've been. But they should still snag a couple of wins they ordinarily wouldn't get, and that should be enough.

Owen Watterson: 19-8, finish 45-37

Not only would 45 wins be Charlotte’s best finish since 2015-2016, but it would be a statement. It likely gets them into the playoffs outright— or right in the fight for the sixth seed play-in cutoff, minimum. This also assumes the Hornets create some underdog victories, but there are matchups all over that lend themselves to an upset: Detroit @ Charlotte in the second-to-last game of the season for example. If they can get the upset there in the rematch, it’s realistic they could take that momentum right to New York in the final game of the year and win with seeding likely on the line.

This is one of two left against the East-leading Knicks. Charlotte still has to play Miami twice and Boston three times— another good litmus test for how serious a playoff candidate they are versus a highly touted, or in the Heat’s case, well-coached, teams. Maybe this run isn't a fluke at all…19-8 to close the year would prove that true beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Albert Böttcher: 17-10, finish 43-39

It's unreasonable to expect two more near-perfect months out of the Hornets, but in my opinion the sample size of their success is large enough to the point where you have to realize that this is who they are. I'm sure there will be some more learning moments and a few ugly losses before the end of the regular season, but overall I see the positive trend continuing.

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