The Charlotte Hornets have a real chance to make some noise in the Eastern Conference this coming season. Much of the reason for that is the fact that the Hornets have worked incredibly hard over the last several months to give LaMelo Ball what he's no doubt always wanted: a strong supporting cast of capable co-stars and role players.
It's not exactly a secret that team-building has been an inconsistent process in Charlotte in previous seasons. With past regimes more focused on getting quick fixes to problems and not having as much of a long-term vision, it made sense why the Hornets seemed to ultimately stay stuck in one place. Now, the way Jeff Peterson has been operating has given Hornets fans plenty of righteous hope.
When LaMelo first arrived in the Queen City in 2020, the roster had talent, but it's fair to say it had a certain ceiling. Even with Ball breaking out and having a fully healthy season in year two in 2021-22, that team lost in the play-in for the second year in a row. James Borrego deserves credit for getting those teams to the level they reached, especially in terms of their offensive output. But it should also say something that he couldn't get them past the play-in.
At the end of the day, I think there just wasn't enough for the Hornets to leap to the level of a true contender. But now, I would say they're much closer to getting there. The team has re-affirmed its commitment to LaMelo Ball, and has made sure a bunch of well-fitting pieces are positioned around him.
This is the best Hornets team LaMelo Ball has played on
Miles Bridges has arguably been Charlotte's best player over the course of the last two seasons when you factor in output and availability. He now has two full seasons under his belt since taking a year off in 2022-23, and we might see him closer to the level he was at in 2021-22 in the coming season.
As for Brandon Miller, his sky-high upside as an elite two-way shot making wing is still there. After fully healing from his injury, he's going to be perfectly positioned to continue sharing the brunt of the offensive load with Ball, and making life easier for number one.
And as we know, basketball is about far more than stars or borderline stars. How you fill out your bench and structure the rest of your roster is arguably more important, and the Hornets have a lot more talent than they did a year ago. Collin Sexton, who will likely be starting, provides a tremendous scoring punch in the backcourt. Tre Mann's going to do the same off the bench.
Grant Williams' leadership and veteran presence is going to be huge once he's back as well. And then of course, Charlotte's drafting genius got them several exciting prospects who will have a chance to get some burn in 2025-26 as well.
I just think when you really consider what this roster holds, it has to be the best one LaMelo Ball has played on in his career. That's going to go a long way toward helping the Hornets finally end their playoff drought, and show how far they've come this next season.