On one of the best stretches in the NBA today, the Charlotte Hornets are getting the recognition that they deserve after a successful February.
As if the Charlotte Hornets season could get any better.
Four members of the Hornets roster were included in The Ringer’s updated “Top 100 list.”
Kon Knueppel was listed at number 40, LaMelo Ball 45th, Brandon Miller 58th, and Coby White 79th.
Three players who are playing the best basketball of their careers, and a rookie who’s carrying himself like a 10-year veteran.
There are worse problems to have.
We highlighted Knueppel's success in depth earlier this week, showcasing the records he’s shattered and the pace he’s on. And last night in Charlotte’s 131-99 win against the Chicago Bulls, Knueppel became the fastest player to reach 200 3-pointers.
Ball was the prodigy that everyone pegged as a superstar long before he became a pro.
He had everything. Except for health.
Throughout his six year career, Ball’s inability to stay on the floor significantly hindered his production and his value drastically plummeted.
But with a sound strategy put in by Hornets GM Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee, Ball has played 32 consecutive games, the longest stretch of consecutive games in his career since his sophomore season.
For Miller, consistency in his production was always his calling card, until it wasn’t. Even dating back to when he was playing for Alabama, Miller’s ability to not just sustain his production, but take over games separated himself from everyone else in his age group.
But like Ball, Miller struggled staying healthy last season, and concerns started to rise even more when he missed 14 of the first 20 games of the season.
And for White, his story is a little bit different. He was highly regarded out of college when he played for UNC, but as he navigated through the pros, his ability to become a significant scorer took a few years.
Over the past three seasons, White has averaged 19.3 points per game while shooting 36% from 3.
Charlotte is in fantastic hands moving forward, and will be in even better hands if it can re-sign White.
But if not, a core consisting of Knueppel, Ball, and Miller has the makings of one of the league’s most dangerous young trios.