This would be unfortunate.
Former NBA executive John Hollinger thinks the Charlotte Hornets will have another putrid season in 2025-26.
Hollinger, now a columnist at The Athletic, predicts the Hornets to go 25-57 this season.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016. The top players on the current roster are LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, Grant Williams, Spencer Dinwiddie, Josh Green and rookie Kon Knueppel.
"They won’t be awful as long as they can keep LaMelo Ball on the court for a majority of the schedule, and they have some helpful veteran talent in the likes of Miles Bridges, Grant Williams and Collin Sexton, the latter of whom could end up pushing for Sixth Man of the Year if the Hornets have a quasi-respectable record and Sexton isn’t traded to a contender at midseason," Hollinger wrote.
The Hornets went 19-63 last season. They haven't had a winning record since the 2021-22 season.
For the Hornets to shock the world and make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2016, Ball and Miller have to stay healthy and play at a very high level. Ball finished last season with averages of 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists, while Miller put up 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Ball and Miller proved last season they can be a dynamic duo. Ball averaged 30.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists next to Miller, who averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists alongside LaMelo.
"All that aside, the most interesting franchise-level question still revolves around Ball," Hollinger wrote. "He’s young, shoots deep bombs from 3, can throw every pass and has four years left on a max deal. But between his injuries, defensive indifference and weird shot selection, it’s fair to wonder if he’s worth it. One wonders if the Hornets — under new management since Ball signed that deal — would look for an escape hatch if another franchise makes a strong offer."
The Hornets open the regular season on October 22 against another rebuilding team, the Brooklyn Nets.