The Five Lineups the Charlotte Hornets Should Use During the 2026-27 Season

It’s time to play a little fantasy basketball. The Hornets got the players; now let’s figure out how it will all work. These are five lineups I’d like to see this season.

The safe starting lineup: Kon Knueppel (G), Coby White (G), Naz Reid (F), Brandon Miller (F), and Moussa Diabate (C): This is the safe starting lineup. Yes, it’s undersized, but you've got five guys that know their roles and know how to come through in the clutch. I expect Charlotte to at least start the year with this unit before making the pivot to the next possible lineup on our list

The end-game lineup: Knueppel (G), White (G), Reid (F), Miller (F), Hannes Steinbach (C): This is the starting group I think Charlotte wants to get to at the end of the season for the start of its games. When will it happen? The second Steinbach shows he can compete on a nightly basis without drop-off. With Moussa coming off the bench, you get that instant spark, which we’ll get to in a moment. Here you get a little bit more offense from Steinbach, who showed us he can score in summer league.

The disrupters lineup: Grayson Allen (G), Sion James (G), Royce O’Neale (F), Diabate (F), Ryan Kalkbrenner (C): It’s a little small, but I think they can get away with it in small spurts. I was tempted to put Williams in here, but I’d be concerned about size, hence why I left this the way it is. This is the lineup you put in when you not only need a stop, but you need to change the flow of the game. Diabate and James are my bash brothers, meaning they are my energy guys that, through sheer will, can alter the flow of the game. Throw Allen in there, and you've got a guy that takes a team off their game. I’d get a real kick out of watching them wreak havoc on the opposition.

The size guys' lineup: James (G), Knueppel (G), Miller (F), Steinbach (F), Kalkbrenner (C): You may compare them to the disrupters, but their goals are different. This group wants to outmuscle the opponent’s muscle. Like the disrupters, I don’t think you can get away with it for long stretches, but in short bursts it could work. James might be a stretch, but hear me out. If he can get to at least a competent level of bringing up the ball, this unit might help allow Charlotte to keep up with some of the bigger teams in the league. Also, White needs a rest at some point. Speaking of rest, if Knueppel is tired, you could throw Liam McNeeley in there too if his summer league success translates into the nightly grind of the NBA. I’m keeping Miller in here for guaranteed offense.

The end-game group lineup (When the game is already decided): Christian Anderson (G), Tre Mann (G), McNeeley (F), Williams (F), Kalkbrenner (C). This is the group Charlotte puts in when it has the game all but wrapped up. It’s designed to give experience to the young guys and playing time to the guys who maybe got lost in the shuffle. Speaking of that, if Mann can get back on track, Charles Lee could use this lineup at the end of quarters to give his main guys a rest.

Thing you have a better lineup? I’d love to hear it. Give me a shout on X, @mikelacett.

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