The Charlotte Hornets are the talk of the town lately. In a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons and Zach Lowe devoted an entire segment to the Hornets. While it comprised of different topics, the Golden State Warriors dynasty comparison was thrown out.
“My crazy town question for you is, could this Kon-Miller-LaMelo threesome be the same kind of foundation that Curry and Klay were for the Warriors team?” Simmons asked Lowe.
Momentum like that naturally brings big picture speculation, and the buzz in Buzz City is only getting louder. With Ball finally healthy, Knueppel shattering every expectation imaginable, and Miller showcasing flashes of elite scoring, Charlotte suddenly looks like a team on the verge of becoming the league’s next young dynasty.
Are there truly similarities between the two?
Warriors dynasty redefined the league
The Warriors dynasty core consisted of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. This group redefined what is modern basketball today. The impact of the devastating three-point shooting and constant player and ball movement was unprecedented. The Splash Brothers were assembled, the best regular season record of 73-9 was made, and four championships were had in this elite run.
The Hornets team constructed right now around Ball, Knueppel, and Miller are a spunky trio. The three-point heavy focus with unselfish play is very similar to the offensive playstyle of the Warriors. Could the Hornets add another piece to really send this starting lineup into an unstoppable force? Simmons asked another question to Lowe:
“What is their Iguodala move – is my question. Because…Golden State came out of that 47-35 season, Draymond wasn’t Draymond yet, they basically had Curry, Klay, and Barnes, but their big move was Iguodala.”
This is a great question considering Charlotte is sitting on a stash of multiple first-round picks in the next two years. Could the Hornets go all in during the offseason to acquire someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo? An acquisition like that would be similar to the Iguodala move and automatically move the Hornets to a powerhouse team in the Eastern Conference.
Matching the impact
Are the Hornets building something real? Absolutely. Are there echoes of the Warriors’ offensive principles in what Charlotte is starting to run? Without question. But that’s also where the comparison has to stop. Charlotte’s rise is exciting, but Golden State’s dynasty is quite different.
The Warriors weren’t just a beautiful offense, they were a defensive machine. Year after year, they hovered near the top of the league in defensive rating, anchored by Draymond Green’s elite defensive capabilities and a roster built to switch onto anyone and suffocate the ball handler. The Hornets, under Charles Lee, have taken a meaningful step forward on that end. They are improving, but far from Golden State’s legacy.
Secondly, not only did Golden State win at an alarming rate, they changed basketball. The pace exploded, defenses had to guard Steph at the logo, spacing became priority, and small-ball lineups became a thing. Charlotte is one of the most exciting teams to watch, but they haven’t reshaped the sport. At least not yet.
If the Hornets make a strong playoff run this spring and Jeff Peterson decides to leverage their draft capital to add one more high-impact piece, then the conversation changes. Even if the team is at its best when the starting lineup is healthy and playing, the dynasty comparison feels a bit premature.