Hornets suffer huge drop in NBA power rankings, but thriving rookies provide hope

The Charlotte Hornets have fallen six spots in ESPN’s weekly NBA Power Rankings. Charlotte was No. 18 last week and landed at No. 24 in the new rankings published Wednesday by ESPN’s NBA insiders.

After starting off the season 2-1, the Hornets have lost four of five and have a 3-5 record on the season entering Wednesday. Charlotte suffered its most frustrating loss of the young season on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

pic.twitter.com/pkppZMABGv
— Hornets Lead (@HornetsLead) November 5, 2025

Tuesday doesn't take away from the bright spots so far in 2025-26. The sunniest development by far this season for the Hornets is their rookie class, which has exceeded expectations early on. Kon Knueppel has more than lived up to his billing, while Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner have been wonderful surprises.

On the flip side, Charlotte continues to see LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller afflicted with injuries, a recurring nightmare that fans were hoping the fresh season would be free of.

Additionally, the Hornets have shown their youth at times in the form of playing ineffective basketball for entire quarters (or six to nine-minute stretches), dooming themselves in a couple of winnable games, most glaringly against the Pels.

Hornets' drop in power rankings doesn't take away from their entertainment value

🎙️ Kon Knueppel on three rookies closing:

"It shows the readiness of the group, but we also have room to grow in those areas at the end of the game. We definitely showed that tonight."

"We gotta get shots at the rim. We went scoreless down the stretch, and you can't do that..." pic.twitter.com/AOOiIXGynI
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) November 5, 2025

While a drop in ESPN’s rankings all the way down to No. 24 feels a tad steep, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton added some context to the ranking with a short write-up on Charlotte.

“Charlotte's rookies have played far and away the most minutes of any team this season, with as many as three (No. 4 pick Knueppel and second-rounders Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner) starting together at times,” Pelton wrote.

“Of those three, Knueppel has had the biggest impact, averaging 30.1 minutes and 14.0 points. His 43.1% 3-point shooting on high volume (7.3 attempts per game) has been an ideal fit alongside LaMelo Ball in the Hornets' backcourt. Knueppel had a career-high 24 points Sunday as the Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak by blowing out Utah.”

Knueppel’s basketball IQ and elite shooting have made him an immediate contributor at the NBA level. It never feels like Knueppel is trying to do too much or play beyond himself. The Hornets’ front office absolutely aced the 2025 draft, and there’s also Liam McNeeley to consider, who has a chance to stick but hasn't earned a consistent role yet.

Hornets fans shouldn’t lose any sleep over the past few games. There will be plenty of ups and downs this season, and ultimately, even flirting with a Play-In berth would be well beyond expectations for a group that still needs another year or two to develop.

What’s awesome is that Charlotte is undeniably fun to watch. The Miller and Melo injuries remain concerning, but the Hornets are putting a fun product on the court on a nightly basis, which is more than can be said about plenty of NBA teams out there.

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