NBA Insider Pays Charlotte Hornets Immense Compliment, Sees Big Things Happening Soon

The Charlotte Hornets have equaled their 2024-25 season total. It's January 27. They have undergone serious growth as a team (and the overall health of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball has paid dividends).

They're still 19-28 and in 12th place, though. Those aren't ideal numbers, but they are trending in the right direction. In fact, NBA insider Sam Vecenie thinks they're a whole lot closer to being a really good team than anyone realizes.

🎙️ @Sam_Vecenie: "I think Charles Lee's really good. Based on what I've seen this year, that dude's a good coach. I would be very happy if I was a Charlotte Hornets fan that I feel like I have the coach that might be able to help me get there long term."

"Against the top 10… pic.twitter.com/HJmZX7QD1U
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 26, 2026

For starters, Vecenie believes the Hornets have their coach of the future, calling him a "very good" coach. "I would be very happy if I was a Charlotte Hornets fan that I feel like I have the coach that might be able to help me get there long term," he said.

The litmus test for these Hornets, in Vecenie's eyes, is how well they've performed against the cream of the crop. "Against the top 10 teams in the league, Charlotte's 4-8 this year. They have the 27th-best offense in those games and the 4th-rated defense," he said.

Vecenie added, "Nobody is beating the Vegas spread when they play top-10 teams more than Charlotte is right now... they are closer than people think to being quite good."

Jan 26, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) handles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

There is a risk with being what the Hornets are, though. They still have an uphill battle to even make the Play-In game, and should they miss out, they'll likely hurt themselves badly in the lottery. Even though the lottery tends to reward those sorts of teams, it tends not reward the Hornets. Ever.

Vecenie thinks it won't hurt them that much, though. "I'd try to win every game and make the play-in this year. This draft being as good as it is all the way down to like 7-8-9... can you imagine [a top prospect] with LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel?" he asked, not even including Brandon Miller.

If that happens, the Hornets could end up with Koa Peat (currently 10th on Tankathon's big board) to give them a legitimate power forward to go with those three. That'd be a special core, but the Hornets might already have that.

- MORE STORIES FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS ON SI -

Takeaways From the Charlotte Hornets' Dominant Win Over the Philadelphia 76ers

Kevin Durant Defends Hornets Fans After Charles Barkley Slander

Sixers Visit Charlotte as Hornets Look to Keep Win Streak Rolling

Wizards Fourth Quarter Push Not Enough to Take Down Hornets