The Charlotte Hornets have had an amazing stretch since January 1 and are 29-14 since that date. They have now clinched a play-in spot and only have room to grow.
The Hornets weren’t expected to be very good this season and many thought they’d be another bottom feeder of the Eastern Conference. However, they have defied those expectations and are looking like a potential underdog in the NBA Playoffs.
Charlotte was 11-22 heading into January 1 and it looked like another failure of a season, but something has changed since. According to Stat Muse the Hornets’ offense is now fifth in Offensive Rating led by star point guard Lamelo Ball.
The real surprise of the season has been rookie fourth overall pick Kon Knueppel. According to Basketball Reference, Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points per game. That number isn’t too crazy, but his 43.3% from 3 point range has been a key factor for the team as well as the fact that he shattered the rookie record for most three pointers made in a season.
The kid out of Duke has been a big surprise this season and is going toe to toe with his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in the rookie of the year race.
Other rookies like Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeely have been huge pieces of the Hornets’ bench and look to contribute to a potential playoff run.
While third year forward Brandon Miller has been a great scoring option for Charlotte, the front office was looking for one more scorer to put them over the top.
This scorer was Chicago Bulls’ guard Coby White. White was struggling to start the season on a dismal Bulls team. A change of scenery was needed and it has really helped him. The Hornets sent Colin Sexton and 2 second round picks over to Chicago and have really won that trade since.
White’s scoring numbers have increased as he went from shooting 34.6% from beyond the arc to 37.0%. Yes, his points per game is down, but he’s playing a more important role on a winning team for the first time in his career.
The Hornets’ defense has also been impressive. According to Stat Muse the Hornets are twelfth in defensive rating. Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate have been playing a massive part of the Hornets’ front court defense.
Head Coach Charles Lee has put the Hornets in a position where they could be a top 6 seed and secure a playoff spot as they are only 3 games back from fifth place in the east as of April 1.
Will the Hornets win the finals? Probably not. However, they can absolutely give any team a run for their money.