What's the best word to describe the Charlotte Hornets?
The Charlotte Hornets have started the 2025-26 season 11-23. They are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings and have the 21st-ranked net rating in the league.
The Hornets are 19th in the NBA in points per game, 22nd in points per game allowed, 11th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating.
With those numbers in mind, what's the best way to describe the Hornets? NBA analyst Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report went with "control."
"One of the key components of NBA survival is controlling what you can," Hughes wrote. "For the Charlotte Hornets, who are alarmingly short on shooting whenever Kon Knueppel misses time and can't defend regardless of who's on the floor, that means dominating the glass.
"Rebounding is a major strength for a Hornets team that otherwise has few of them, and it's been vital to this year's relative success. Though Charlotte isn't a real playoff threat, it's on track to post its highest win total since 2021-22.
"The benefits of good glasswork show up on both ends. Charlotte's offense is right around the league average—not because it scores efficiently or takes care of the ball (it does neither), but because the Hornets are fifth in offensive rebound rate.
"On the other end, Charlotte is even better at handling the boards. Opponents grab offensive rebounds just 26.9 percent of the time, the third-lowest figure in the league. Niche competency keeps the Hornets respectable on most nights."
The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016. That won't change this season. They haven't had a winning record since the 2021-22 campaign. That won't change either this season.
However, the good news is that Charlotte has two young players to build around: Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. They also have players who give maximum effort on the boards. That's important for culture building.
Many people around the NBA believe the Hornets should trade LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges to fully build around Miller and Knueppel. Trading Ball and Bridges would open up more shots for Miller and Knueppel.