Expectations are low for the Charlotte Hornets heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. It goes without saying, but the team would love to silence the doubters. However, LaMelo Ball is one of the only truly reliable players on the roster when it comes to performance -- but he has dealt with injury trouble in the past. The Hornets' offense and defense has questions, but today the focus is on the offensive attack.
The reality of the situation is that Charlotte's offense is arguably average at best with Ball on the floor. The hope is that he avoids injury trouble, of course. If Ball is forced to miss time, though, then Charlotte's offense could be one of the worst units in the league without their best player.
Yes, the Hornets have made some changes this offseason. Spencer Dinwiddie and Kon Knueppel could help Charlotte find more consistency. There hasn't been any game-changing additions, however. Sure, Knueppel was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he is still only 20 years old.
Ball played in just over half of Charlotte's games a season ago -- appearing in 47 total matchups. Would the numbers we are about to discuss have changed if Ball played a full season? Probably, but he still managed to appear in half of the games before suffering an injury late in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Hornets' offense ranked last in the NBA in points per game (105.1) last season. Charlotte was 28th in field goals made per game (38.1), 29th in offensive rating (106.7) and last in true shooting percentage (53.7 percent). The team was also sloppy with the basketball, ranking 28th in turnover percentage (15.7 percent) and 25th in turnovers per contest (15.5).
Charlotte's statistics look much better with Ball on the floor, but the team's offense was still far from elite. In games that Ball played in 2024-25, the Hornets averaged 108.5 points per game to go along with a 110.6 offensive rating and 54.7 true shooting percentage.
With or without Ball, Charlotte's offense needs improvement. Brandon Miller's return from injury will help the situation, but the Hornets are likely still a couple of years away from developing a top-tier offensive attack.
If Ball and Miller can stay healthy during the 2025-26 campaign, however, Charlotte could at least feature an average offense -- which would be a step in the right direction following last year's abysmal offensive performance for the team overall.