There have been calls for the Charlotte Hornets to continue to embrace the tank, especially since they are unlikely to compete for a spot in the 2025 playoffs. However, media personality Bill Simmons, who has pleasantly changed his tune about the Hornets this summer, does not seem to think that intentionally losing will be in the squad's genes this season.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Simmons admitted to liking some guys on the roster and said that Charlotte will probably be "really fun" in the first several weeks of the regular season. Perhaps what Hornets fans will be thrilled to hear is that he believes the team is going to be "too competent to potentially tank."
It's tough to disagree with The Ringer founder's take. There are plenty of obviously and under-the-radar talented players to watch out for in Charlotte, although someone might have to remind Simmons that no one among the Martin twins remains in the Queen City.
Leading the Hornets are, of course, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, both of whom have looked healthy in training camp. Some additions this offseason have also inspired confidence among the Hornets faithful, particularly Collin Sexton and Kon Knueppel.
Sure, the frontcourt depth still needs reinforcement. However, the front office has diamonds in the rough in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Both young centers look like they are prepared to go all-out every night, even though their energy might not be able to compensate for their still-underdeveloped skills.
Hornets have the potential to make some noise early in the 2025-26 campaign
What Charlotte might have going for it in the early going of the regular season is that it has a good chance to start 3-0, considering its schedule, which could allow the club to pick up the needed momentum to avoid the cellar in the Eastern Conference in the first weeks or months. Furthermore, emotions are probably going to run high at the start for the Hornets, as some players are returning from injuries, and the new additions will likely look to prove or establish themselves early on.
On the flip side, fans might need to manage their expectations because the Hornets players may require some time to acclimate to what should be a new-look offense and to working together.
The silver lining is that there are plenty of grounds to be optimistic about Buzz City's outlook, if not this season, at least in the years to come. There are already foundational players that the team can build around, and its level of competitiveness should only continue to scale up from here. And given the composition of the roster, there is little reason to believe that tanking for the 2026 NBA Draft lottery is the ideal route for the Hornets.