The Charlotte Hornets have been given a poor prediction coming into the new NBA season.
After a big offseason trade of star guard LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets are entering a new era this coming season. The Hornets also moved forward Miles Bridges, giving more thought to the organization starting over.
Forward Brandon Miller will now be tasked with taking another step forward to lead the franchise, and the team is very excited about what he can do. Miller and second-year player Kon Knueppel will now lead this organization, hoping to turn around the narratives attached to them.
Charlotte has some fun pieces on the roster next to the two star players, including center Naz Reid, whom the Hornets got for Ball in the trade. But there are still questions about the Hornets entering the year and how effective this group can be.
ESPN NBA analyst Zach Kram looked at every team in the league entering the new season, examining a key stat. Within the Hornets section, Kram worries that Charlotte's offense may take a step back from where it was a year ago.
"The likes of Coby White, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller could step up in Ball's stead after he departed in a surprising summer trade. But there might also be some severe growing pains for Charlotte's offense, which took the league by storm in the second half of last season but now must reorient itself around a new set of leaders," Kram wrote.
Charlotte was one of the better offensive teams in the NBA last season, helping them reach the East Play-In. But without the services of Ball and Bridges this year, it remains unknown whether the Hornets attack will be as strong.
The front office did a good job in bringing in quality players to go along with who was already on the roster. But the Hornets are still not seen as a potential playoff team in the East this year.
Having the strong offensive attack was one of the main calling cards for Charlotte entering the season, and if the numbers were to dip, this team could be in for a long year. But luckily for the Hornets, Miller will likely take another step forward, helping to ease some concerns.
All in all, this 2026-27 NBA season for the Hornets could be very interesting, even without the thought of them being a playoff hopeful squad. Charlotte still has a nice collection of talent on the roster, and if it were to all gel together, anything can happen out on the floor.
