For the longest time, the Charlotte Hornets have been hard to watch on the court and in the standings. At least one of those realities can change this season, as they seem equipped to play an exciting brand of basketball. Bill Simmons is among those who are "all in" on the new League Pass darling, saying as much in his tweet after the team's win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons did not stop there because, besides describing the Hornets as a "delight to watch," he appears to believe they can make some noise in the league this season.
It doesn't look like this is simply a case of The Ringer founder's dogged affinity for Kon Knueppel. As many folks have noticed, he has bought a lot of Knueppel stock, even saying that the rookie is a guarantee to be called up for Team USA duties in 2028. Simmons also joked during a recent podcast episode that his lawyers have asked him to only talk about the potential Hornets star when discussing the team.
Hornets will be entertaining to watch this season
Like many of the Hornets faithful, Simmons is thrilled to watch Charlotte light up the Spectrum Center and other arenas.
Playing at a fast pace is the only way to go for the squad, given the way it has been constructed. Its regular-season opener is evidence that it can be effective, and even if it does not bring the wins, it drives up the entertainment value. For instance, keeping on running the break opened plenty of opportunities for LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges to connect on alley-oop plays.
The reinforcements the front office has added this summer also make the team's games a must-watch. No longer does Ball need to go the hero-ball route every night. Instead, he can showcase his facilitating skills while still letting loose his signature highlight-reel plays from time to time. Even when a combination of Ball, Miller, and Knueppel sits, there will be plenty of offense to go around for Charlotte, with Collin Sexton's downhill drives and Tre Mann's shot-creating skills helping their teammates put up high-quality shots.
Those are just some of the reasons the Hornets are unmissable on League Pass or other platforms. While they are still far from perfect, they deserve praise for the progress they have displayed so far. Hopefully, the purple and teal can also gain ground in the standings — if not this season, then sometime in the near future.