For the first time in forever, there's a buzz in the air for the Charlotte Hornets

If you take a look at the NBA standings, you'll see that the Charlotte Hornets are once again floundering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. A .500 record would get them close to the Play-In range, and they can't even muster that.

But when you look at the game log, you'll start to see that they're playing teams a lot closer than you'd expect. They're a lot closer to winning games than their record indicates. Turn on the games, and you will see the same thing.

When LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller all play, the Hornets are over .500. The starting lineup, which adds Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate to those three, is the best in the NBA by net rating, and it's not even close.

All that suggests that things are trending up, and there's a buzz in the air that hasn't been present for a very long time.

🎙️ @andrewsharp: "The Hornets, when they've had everyone healthy, there's something there — and there's kind of a spark and an energy that hasn't been seen in Charlotte basically my entire life, honestly, when you zoom out and look at this franchise." https://t.co/ybAI21rr1u pic.twitter.com/uBKPOKlho4
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 12, 2026

Andrew Sharp said, "The Hornets, when they've had everyone healthy, there's something there — and there's kind of a spark and an energy that hasn't been seen in Charlotte basically my entire life, honestly, when you zoom out and look at this franchise."

He said all this to say that the Hornets are not likely to follow the Atlanta Hawks' blueprint and trade their star guard. He believes they should "let it marinate" for a while longer and make a decision in the summer.

The Hornets have done a good job amassing talent, and the floor for this team is higher than it's been in previous seasons. And yet, the Hornets are still so much better with Ball on the floor than off. They're 10.7 points better, which is somehow the best of his career.

The Hornets are 2.4 points better with Brandon Miller on the floor, and 2.7 points better with Kon Knueppel on the floor. Obviously, all three together add a ton to the Hornets, but it's clear that Ball remains the most important player.

Regardless, those three together are giving fans a reason to be excited for the first time since the Kemba Walker era, and there may even be more hope this time than ever before.

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