NBA Insider Gives Hornets Immense Praise, Highlights True Engine of Success

The Charlotte Hornets have been on fire. They won 10 of 11 (and 13 of 17) to close out the first half and are the ninth seed in the East. Had they been healthy from the start, this team might be in the top six right now.

Either way, the surge has caught the NBA world's attention, and insider Zach Lowe, who has been paying attention to Charlotte for a while now, believes the Hornets have finally become something they were always criticized for not being: a serious franchise.

🎙️ @ZachLowe_NBA: "You could argue the Hornets are the 5th most serious team in the Eastern Conference right now."

"A lot of the attention has been focused on the brawl, on Kon Mania, on LaMelo finding his groove... and Brandon Miller is just this steady hum of productivity, and… pic.twitter.com/Ocpchz8gKu
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 17, 2026

"You could argue the Hornets are the 5th most serious team in the Eastern Conference right now," he said. For years, the Hornets were labeled unserious and criticized for not taking winning seriously, but it turns out that all they needed was more talent.

What has led to this success? Lowe believes people will credit Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball, but he thinks it comes down to Brandon Mille r, ultimately.

"A lot of the attention has been focused on the brawl, on Kon Mania, on LaMelo finding his groove... and Brandon Miller is just this steady hum of productivity, and I think it's actually been the most important variable in Charlotte's ascendancy," he said.

Since December 14, Lowe pointed out that Miller is averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting 44% from the field and 39% from deep. "He's been available," Lowe said. "He's a good two-way player, and he's got room to grow on both ends of the floor."

Miller has become the go-to player for the Hornets. He routinely leads in scoring, and he's usually the player they like to go to when they need a basket. The team is at its best when he's playing, as they're 23-15 when he's healthy.

The Hornets have long believed that they had some of the right pieces, and that included Miller. Now, with health and the right supporting cast, they are finally seeing the fruits of that belief, and the basketball world can't ignore them or call them unserious any longer.

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