The NBA Ought to Fear the 2026-27 Charlotte Hornets

From my perspective, the Charlotte Hornets were one of the best teams in the NBA last season. Throw out the 16-27 start before they got a little healthier and figured out their starting lineup (which went on to be the best in the NBA by a wide margin).

The numbers don't lie. Following January 1, they had the best net rating in the entire NBA (+10.7). They had the sixth-best record, and that's despite facing a very tough schedule at the end of the year. Charlotte was so good that even including that poor start leaves them with the eighth-best net rating overall.

I am someone who watches frequently and follows them aggressively. I know the ins and outs, and I saw all the cool, random stats that pointed to real, sustainable, legitimate dominance. The wider NBA media world is not the same.

Yet, they all took notice, and now, after the hype has died down, someone's willing to call the Hornets a top-10 team right now. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey dropped a power rankings following the New York Knicks' title, and the Hornets are ninth.

They're ahead of a few notable teams:

Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks
Orlando Magic

Bailey wrote, "The Charlotte Hornets' unbelievable second-half surge fell just shy of the playoffs, but there's no doubt they'll return as one of the 2026-27's most exciting teams." If they played that way with a roster that's largely intact for the next season, why wouldn't they be?

Bailey pointed out that they have LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Mille, and Miles Bridges under contract in 2026-27, and those four were an absurd +27.4 points per 100 possessions. Even if they trade Bridges, it's not going to hurt because he was -5.9 last year.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) passes between Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) and guard Kon Knueppel | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

"There's reason to believe Ball, Miller, and Knueppel could all make meaningful improvements next season, and that should have the rest of the East worried," Bailey concluded. The Hornets aren't a laughingstock anymore.

They have those three under contract beyond this upcoming season, too. And they're all under 24 right now, which means it's very possible they continue to improve. And with two first-round picks to use in the draft, it's starting to look very possible that a top-10 designation is putting it lightly.

The Hornets are here, and the rest of the NBA ought to be scared of that.

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