Do the Charlotte Hornets Have an Answer to Their Clutch Time Woes on the Roster?

Satuday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers stirred up a concern about the Charlotte Hornets that has been largely dormant in the team's 2026 blitz through the NBA: their crunch time execution.

The numbers paint an ugly picture.

Charlotte's -11.1 net rating in 110 clutch minutes (a game within five points in the last five minutes of regulation or overtime) is the fourth-worst in the NBA, ahead of bottom-dwellers Brooklyn, New Orleans, and Memphis.

Their 101.8 clutch time offensive rating is the fifth-worst in the league, their 23.7% shooting from long range is third-worst in the league, and their effective field goal percentage of 43.2% is the second-worst.

Only one team, the Brooklyn Nets, has fewer clutch wins (6) than the Hornets (10) this season.

If there is one thing that will derail the Hornets' chances of advancing out of the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament outside of their turnover problems, it will be their putrid offense in the clutch.

Is there a fix on the roster? Maybe. In Charlotte's next close game, they should hand the keys of the offense to the point guard that they acquired to run their second-unit at the trade deadline and let one of the NBA's premier drivers of the basketball drive the ship.

Coby White Should Be On the Floor in Clutch Time

While has proven adept at making things happen at the end of quarters in his brief time in Charlotte. After last Thursday's win against the New York Knicks, a game in which White created looks in the dying second of each of the first three quarters, head coach Charles Lee was asked about Coby's innate ability to get a good shot for himself or a teammate in short clock scenarios.

"I think number one, when the ball is in his hands, he has a knack for getting fouled, getting to the basket -- knowing time and score, especially that time piece, knowing when to go, when to attack. And I think his teammates, they trust him so much. They're looking for him. So if you overshift off of that guy and our ball handler commands so much attention that if they're overshifted he does a great job at finding them."

In White's last full season as a member of the Chicago Bulls, he led the team in clutch minutes played and shot 50% from the field in those scenarios while knocking down a blistering 94.1% of his free throw attempts.

Coby's ability to get downhill and either get fouled or convert on two-point attempts is something that Charlote's starting five is missing. The veteran point guard is averaging 9.1 drives per game as a member of the Hornets, second only to LaMelo Ball's 11.1 per game, and is converting on 51.7% of his attempts as a driver. White also leads the Hornets in free throw attempts per game off drives.

White's combination of volume and efficency as a driver could be what unlocks Charlotte's offense in these late-game scenarios. When the game slows down, tendencies are scouted, and more off-ball physicality is allowed by officials, Charlotte's pass-heavy, three-point centric offense needs a release valve like White to keep defenses honest.

Having White on the floor alongside LaMelo Ball as a secondary on-ball option would allow Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to scale down their roles and become floor spacers and close-out attackers instead of primary drivers of offense.

It's not a surefire fix, but it is one that the Hornets should at least attempt the next time they find themselves in a close game.

Inserting White into the lineup doesn't come without problems, though.

If you bench Miles Bridges or Moussa Diabate for White, the already small Hornets would be at a critical size disadvantage that could be exploited by opposing bigs. And without a true stopper in their back court, big wings and quick guards would have their choice of who to attack on the perimeter between White, Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller.

It's a delicate dance. The Hornets' roster has clear holes and the best teams and coaches know how to poke and prod them when each possession matters in clutch time. Although Charlotte would sacrifice some defensive versatility with White on the floor to close games, the boost he could bring their offense may be enough to outweigh any concern on the opposite end of the floor.

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