Tim McMahon Has Totally Reversed Course on the Charlotte Hornets

It's amazing how quickly things can change. The Charlotte Hornets used to be the laughingstock of the NBA as recently as last season, and now they're one of the most interesting stories in the league.

They've gone from 19 wins to a Play-In berth (all but guaranteed) and a great shot at making the playoffs outright. The entire perception of this team, organization, and players has totally changed.

If you're looking for evidence of that, look no further than NBA media analysts. It seems like weekly Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe gush over the Hornets on their podcast. The Hoop Collective, made up of Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim McMahon, often praises them, too.

That last bit is important because those three used to be notoriously anti-Hornets. They didn't like LaMelo Ball, the team, or anything going on there. Now, understandably, they've changed their tune.

McMahon just gave the best example of that. He said they're fun and good, which is a very different thing than the Hornets used to be, which was fun and bad.

🗣️ @BannedMacMahon: "This is one of the most entertaining teams in the league, and they have a clear identity. They run and they gun. LaMelo Ball running the show, surrounded by shooters Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, playing up to their draft stock..." pic.twitter.com/vUBSY8hI8W
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 25, 2026

"This is one of the most entertaining teams in the league, and they have a clear identity. They run and they gun. LaMelo Ball running the show, surrounded by shooters Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, playing up to their draft stock," McMahon said.

The Hornets are 22-6 since January 22, which is second only to the San Antonio Spurs in that time frame. The Spurs split with the Hornets in that time frame, so they're really neck-and-neck for the best team since then.

They're beating most teams by a huge margin. They have surged and rewarded themselves for patience and belief. Did most of these NBA analysts believe in what the Hornets were building before 2025-26?

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) makes a slam dunk during the second half | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

That seems unlikely, since the talk surrounding them was when to trade LaMelo Ball, why Ball isn't a winning player, his injury woes, Brandon Miller's absence, and more. It was all negative, and now it's all love.

This is the nature of the media cycle. If you're doing well, everyone loves you, which the Hornets have learned. But when things aren't going well, you're ridiculed, which the Hornets have long known.

Things do change quickly in the NBA, but it's nice to finally be on the positive side of the volatile media cycle. These Hornets have earned it.

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