Only time will prove if the Charlotte Hornets can sustain their solid start to the 2025-26 season. But even if they end up falling in the standings as usual, there is a glimmer of hope in that they will be beguiling to watch, especially LaMelo Ball. Tim Legler is among those who have hopped onto the bandwagon.
The ESPN basketball analyst appeared on a recent episode of Bill Simmons' podcast. So, naturally, they talked about the Hornets, as Simmons has been singing a different tune about the team for a while now.
Legler mentioned Charlotte while discussing which squad he views as a "guilty pleasure team that is probably not going to be a great team." The reason he ascribed his view to is the "incredibly entertaining" Ball.
According to Legler, Ball can quickly shift from pulling off highlight-reel plays to making questionable decisions. But whatever the case may be, viewers are going to get two-and-a-half hours of entertainment because of the star point guard.
To be fair, Legler also brought up Brandon Miller as another reason the Hornets are fun to watch and even appeared to express disappointment that the youngster saw his development get derailed by another injury.
Hornets' quest to becoming more than just a League Pass darling
It's great that Charlotte is finally receiving more national recognition today. However, the idea that the reason behind it is that more people see the squad as merely a fun group might be a double-edged sword. Of course, gaining more viewers and, hopefully, fans could make the Hornets more valuable and perhaps a prime destination for players. On the other hand, no franchise would probably want to be pigeon-holed as merely an entertaining team while being inferior or mediocre in the standings.
So, the Hornets' roadmap should include a clear strategy for eventually becoming a winner. They appear to be on the right track this season, though, as their offense has been one of the best so far. They are tied for third in average points and tied for fifth in average assists, thanks in large part to Ball defying expectations. In the 2024-25 campaign, they ranked in the bottom four in those stats.
The major problem for Buzz City is that its defense has been unable to keep up with the offense. Allowing 124.8 points per contest just won't cut it, especially when opponents find ways to neutralize its high-octane offense. In addition, there is the danger of the Hornets' incredibly efficient perimeter shooting regressing to the mean, and such a scenario would only highlight their still-porous defense.
Hopefully, the Hornets can make some headway soon into becoming a legitimate contender, so that their status atop some folks' League Pass rankings can be accompanied by a massive leap in the standings.