It appears a playoff appearance is not in the cards for the Charlotte Hornets this season. Zach Lowe recently reiterated his view that the Hornets are due for a rough season, one that could see them endure plenty of disappointments, primarily stemming from their potentially weak defense.
In a recent episode of his show, Lowe again questioned what the "road map" is going to be for Charlotte to become competent on defense. If it is unable to provide resistance on most nights, it might not matter if the team can transform into a decent offensive squad after being one of the worst in that department last season.
As Lowe pointed out, the Hornets' big man rotation could make it tough for them to prevent opponents from scoring.
Presumed starting power forward Miles Bridges usually tries on defense, but he is far from an elite stopper. The center platoon also does not inspire much confidence. Ryan Kalkbrenner was an imposing rim protector in college, but his effectiveness in the NBA will likely depend on the matchups. Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate has better agility than Kalkbrenner, though he has yet to demonstrate the ability to consistently guard heftier pivots.
Lowe didn't even have to mention Charlotte's dearth of perimeter stoppers, as its best options to defend premier guards and wings are the disappointing Josh Green and the unproven Sion James.
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise to the Hornets faithful if the club significantly drops from its rank of 16th last season in average allowed points. The hope, though, is that it wouldn't turn out to be true, but Buzz City might not have the personnel to make opponents uncomfortable on offense.
Another Hornets tank job might be deflating
Even if Charlotte does not end up contending for a spot in the playoffs —or even just the postseason — maybe it can at least be competitive on most game nights.
Securing high odds in the 2026 draft lottery is certainly an enticing proposition, especially because the franchise can land a LaMelo Ball replacement in Darryn Peterson or fill its frontcourt void with any of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, or Nate Ament with a top draft selection next summer.
However, another year of intentional losing could be demoralizing for some Hornets players, and even more so for their fans. Hopefully, Charles Lee can prove to be the right man for the job partly by devising effective defensive (and offensive, for that matter) schemes that will compensate for the team's relatively pedestrian collection of talent on the roster.