The Hornets Will Make The Postseason If These Things Happen

What will it take for the Charlotte Hornets to make the postseason in 2026-27? We're not talking just about the playoffs, either. The Play-In, which is more realistic for this team, is mainly what we are discussing in this week's Charlotte Hornets On SI roundtable.

Schuyler Callihan:

Improved shot creation. This is going to be a tall ask, especially with LaMelo Ball now out the door, but it's more important than ever for that very reason. Kon Knueppel can't just be a catch-and-shoot guy anymore. He showed the ability to create his own shot at times, but he really didn't have to this past season.

The same goes for Brandon Miller. He has a better handle, and the length should allow him to create just enough space to get off a clean look, but it felt like those moments have been few and far between early in his career. If the Hornets get an expanded offensive game from Miller, it completely changes the dynamic for this team.

Coby White can certainly facilitate the rock, but Charlotte isn't going to have the elite passing from the point guard spot anymore.

Zach Roberts:

Christian Anderson Jr. gets NBA-ready (or better) immediately, Brandon Miller makes the leap, and the restocked frontcourt carries the team offensively and defensively.

The Hornets’ Achilles heel once again is backup point guard, but if Christian Anderson Jr. lives up to the billing quickly, that won't be a major issue, fixing the lone major hole and getting them over the hump.

The Hornets are putting all their chips on Brandon Miller, so if he doesn't make the leap (a small leap, to be fair), then it won't matter what else happens. He's got to be a borderline All-NBA player like LaMelo Ball was.

The Hornets have reshuffled their roster so that the frontcourt is the strength. They have flexibility, versatility, and depth at the four and five. If that coalesces into the sort of thing that can carry this team every night, then they could get into the playoffs. If not, they will be back in the lottery again.

Evan Campos:

The roster stays very healthy, especially the starting guard rotation. Charlotte has very little margin for error, and losing a player like Coby White for an extended period would significantly hurt the Hornets' chances of ending their postseason drought.

Health aside, Brandon Miller takes a leap as a primary creator and two-way player, earning his first All-Star selection. Kon Knueppel similarly has an All-Star-caliber season, continuing to develop as a true three-level scorer, tightening his handle while improving his defensive impact. Charlotte also gets immediate contributions from Christian Anderson and Hannes Steinbach as legitimate quality rotation players throughout the season.

Offensively, Charlotte finds more balance by remaining a top-five three-point shooting team while also improving its two-point scoring and generating a higher volume of attempts around the basket. Lastly, Head Coach Charles Lee leads another Hornets defense that finishes around 10th to 12th in the NBA. If all of those things happen, Charlotte should be firmly in the playoff mix.

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