Spacing, Shooting, Signs of Life: The Hornets Are Playing Their Best Ball in Years.

Moussa Diabate & Lamelo Ball

The Charlotte Hornets are having one of their best offensive months in years. They sit at number one in net offense this January, and it finally feels earned. As the sixth best three point shooting team in the NBA, shots are dropping with confidence instead of hope. The energy feels lighter. The offense feels natural. Buzz City is booming and for the first time in a while, there is a sense things are starting to click. 

That belief starts with the starting five. Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller all score in their own way, which keeps defenses guessing. No one forces the issue. The ball finds the right person. Moussa Diabate does the dirty work with his tremendous glass cleaning and fighting for extra possessions. Together, this group owns the best net rating of any five man lineup in the league this season. When they share the floor, the game tilts. 

The second unit has quietly become a strength as well. Collin Sexton has been an incredible addition, bringing pressure, energy, and real two way impact off the bench. His presence stabilizes minutes without the starters and keeps the tempo high. Sion James and Kalkbrenner have already shown how impactful rookie defenders can be, playing with discipline and toughness while continuing to grow. Even Tidjane Salaün has taken clear steps forward. His decision making has improved, and he is starting to show flashes of steady, long term development rather than raw chaos. 

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Collin Sexton, Sion James (L-R)

The record during this stretch sits at 7–6, which tells the other side of the story. The Hornets have been close. Too close. A winnable game against the Indiana Pacers was theirs to take and a last second heartbreak against the Toronto Raptors still stings. Those losses highlight the next hurdle. Closing games. Late possessions. Trusting the right group at the right time. That responsibility falls on Charles Lee and his rotations when the pressure is highest. 

The trade deadline now adds another layer. Around the league, proven players are looking for new situations. Charlotte finally looks like one worth choosing. There is structure here. There is buy in. The culture is changing. One well-timed move could be enough to push this team forward. The play-in is realistic. Even the playoffs do not feel out of reach anymore. For a franchise starved for momentum, this moment feels different.

Miles Bridges

Images: Hornets, Phothaimatic, Justinnflicks