The Hornets Have to Look in the Mirror to Fix Their No. 1 Problem

Outside help is coming, but it all goes back to the young core making strides in one particular area.

Apr 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It didn't take long to realize that the Charlotte Hornets were going to be in for a long night against the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament last week.

Right out of the chute, the Magic made it known they were going to play bully ball and will their way to the basket on nearly every possession. On the defensive end, they were bumping, holding, grabbing, and knocking the Hornets off course, particularly in their off-ball actions.

It was reminiscent of what the Detroit Pistons did to them in the final home game of the season, and what they had experienced against other physical teams throughout the year.

Although the fashion in which the game played out was a big surprise, the Hornets knew what they were getting into with that matchup. It was a team they beat three times in the regular season, and the main pregame message was to protect the paint. Obviously, they failed in doing so and never found a solution to slow Orlando down.

Oftentimes, when we discuss the next step for the Hornets and what they need, we tend to talk about trades, free agent moves, and so on. For Hornets President of Basketball Ops Jeff Peterson, it all starts with physicality, rather than a certain roster move. And before he adds help from the outside, he knows it starts with the young core who isn't going anywhere.

“I think the thing that immediately jumps out is physicality. And I’m not overreacting to what happened in Orlando," he said in his exit interview earlier this week. "I think it was a theme all year, quite frankly. I think how that gets addressed, first and foremost, is everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror. Players have to stronger and lift more, get more uncomfortable from that standpoint, and I know they will. Physicality is something that I always appreciate.”

LaMelo Ball has made strides in that department, but if we're being honest, he still has a long way to go. Playing through contact has never been a strength of his, but for this team to take that next step, it's going to have to be an area of his game that he can lean on a little more. He already has the speed to blow by defenders off the dribble. If he becomes more consistent finishing at the rim, it makes the Hornets' offense that much more dangerous.

It's not just LaMelo, either. Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller will need to improve in that area as well. Kon played a ton of basketball over the last 365 games, and it took a toll on his body. Now that he's been through the grind and has an understanding of how teams are going to play him, we should see that improvement. Miller spent much of last season on the shelf and then had the shoulder injury early in the year, so I'm sure that was in the back of his mind throughout the course of the season.

Charlotte will make external moves to improve the overall physicality of the team, but it's all going to come back to how much progress the "big three" make in that phase of the game.